Single dads fight court ‘inequality’
The Greek justice system operates in favor of divorced mothers who almost always obtain custody of their children in court battles that often limit the contact fathers have with their children, a group representing single fathers said yesterday. The president of the Association for Male and Paternal Dignity (SYGAPA), Nikos Spitalas, told Kathimerini that in 99 percent of cases, courts give custody of children to mothers. «The court prefers to give custody to a woman, even if she is in jail,» said Spitalas. The group was formed 18 months ago and numbers 1,500 members of whom about one-third are women, relatives of single fathers. According to Spitalas, SYGAPA has taken its claims of discrimination to the European Court of Human Rights, arguing that this treatment does not occur in other countries. «In the US, France and other countries, they give custody to both parents. This system is more correct, as both parents are equal as regards the child,» he added.
