Dad takes 1-year-old baby after "domestic dispute" with mother, then abandons baby to visit strip club (Wellington, New Zealand)

This isn't a case where a clueless, stupid UNNAMED DAD couldn't find a babysitter when he decided that he really, REALLY needed to visit a strip club/bar. No, this piece of rubbish TOOK the baby after a "domestic dispute" with the baby's mother. Apparently the baby was doing just fine at home. It's also quite apparent Daddy wasn't seized by the desire for more "quality time." Nope, looks like Daddy was just flexing his control and abuse muscles. Basically something along the lines of "I will steal the baby from you just to hurt you, and to show my utter contempt for the both of you, I'll abandon the baby outside a seedy strip joint."

And I wonder what Daddy's "outstanding warrant" was for.

Note that Mom could lose custody because of the father's actions. Child protection staffers are apparently "discussing" the matter.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/local/3578849/Father-abandons-baby-to-visit-strip-club

Father abandons baby to visit strip club
By AMANDA FISHER and KATE NEWTON - The Dominion Post
Last updated 05:00 14/04/2010

Appalled Child, Youth and Family workers have taken a one-year-old baby into care after his father left him unattended in a car while he watched strippers in a nearby Wellington bar.

The children's commissioner says leaving a baby alone is an "extreme form of neglect".

A passer-by noticed the child about 3am yesterday and contacted police, who arrived within seven minutes and broke a window of the locked car to rescue the baby. They took him to Wellington police station but he was later taken to Wellington Hospital by ambulance staff concerned about his breathing.

The father was found in the nearby Mermaid strip club, where he was arrested on an outstanding warrant for unrelated "minor" charges, Inspector Simon Perry said.

"He was not being actively sought by the police for [the warrant] and he will appear on those charges when he goes to court."

Mermaid owner Michael Chow would not comment on the case.

The arrested man is to appear in court on Monday on a charge of leaving a child under the age of 14 without reasonable supervision.

"In Wellington, it's not a common occurrence but we do applaud the member of the public who did ring and advise us," Mr Perry said.

"Someone else may have seen the child and used that opportunity to abduct [him] because at that time of the morning, there are all types of people around the city."

It is understood a domestic dispute happened between the man and his partner before he left Palmerston North, taking the baby with him.

The baby spent yesterday in Wellington Hospital children's ward.

The young boy had been taken to hospital by ambulance services, who were "not happy with his colour and breathing", a police spokesman said.

But a hospital spokesman said the baby was unhurt and "perfectly happy" yesterday. "He was sleeping merrily when the police grabbed him."

CYF had invoked a law that allowed it to take the baby into custody for up to five days while it decided who would care for him, the spokesman said. Staff collected him from the hospital yesterday afternoon and planned to transfer him to Palmerston North Hospital to be cared for while the agency discussed with his extended family what should happen next.

CYF deputy chief executive Ray Smith said it was not acceptable to leave a baby alone in a car at any time, for any reason.

"I'm astonished and appalled that a father would leave a young baby in a car in the middle of the night while he visited a strip club." The agency would be "working closely" with police and the baby's family to determine what should happen next.

Children's Commissioner John Angus said leaving a child alone in a car at night was an "extreme form of neglect".

"This sort of case ... is the extreme end of what's all too common for children in New Zealand."

He was hopeful other relatives would step in. "Often an incident like this triggers someone in the extended family to say, `Hell, this isn't good enough for our grandchild or niece or nephew'."