Child was hospitalized from burns he sustained through trying to make food for himself.
Cay Hill: --- Loic Artsen the father of a seven year old boy who received severe burns on his abdomen, both legs and genitals is calling on the National Detectives to do their jobs in order for him to protect his son. Artsen identified the mother of his child as KPSM Officer Fabiola Brown whom he said is a very negligent mother that has not been taking care of her children. Artsen said early September he received a phone call from his child mother after 10pm in the night where she informed him that his son got two small burns and was admitted to St. Maarten Medical Center. Artsen said when his child mother told him that he rushed to the hospital to see his son but by the time he got there the doctors had already sedated his son and covered his body. “The following day I went back to see my son and at that point I questioned my son as to how he got burn so badly. My son told me that his mother picked him from school and dropped him home and he was at home with his teenage brother. He said at around 9pm he was hungry and he and his brother decided to make hotdogs and at some point he tried to lift up a pot of boiling water that fell on him.” When my son told me that I confronted the mother and asked her where was she when the child got burn and she told me she was in the bathroom, but my son said she was not at home and when he got burn he and his brother ran over to the neighbor’s house to seek help and instead of the neighbors calling the ambulance they called the mother who came and took the child to the hospital. “When I see my son condition I went the very next day and filed a complaint with the police, they stopped me from going public with this story because they said they are investigating. I have been fighting a seven year battle because I want to acknowledge my son from the time he was born but the mother refuses to let me acknowledge my son and because of that she is the sole guardian for the child while I support my son and have bi-weekly visitation rights. I even went to court to be able to acknowledge my son and filed several complaints with the Court of Guardianship but the Court of Guardianship does not give men any rights. I believe because she is a female and a police officer the law is working in her favor at the expense of the child.”
Artsen said while his son was at SMMC the doctors proposed skin grafting because of the severity of the burns but he wanted to take his son to the French side to get a second opinion but because the mother does not want him to acknowledge his son he is not able to get his son French medical coverage and again she refused for him to be taken to the French side or even overseas for a second opinion.
The father said that he has been checking with the National Detectives very often and all he is hearing is that they are investigating. He said the child spent two and half weeks in the hospital before he was released and since then he only saw the child once. “As a father I want to be able to take up my responsibility I am not a dead beat father but the system and the mother of my son refuses to let me take care of my child and give him the care he needs. While the wound are healing this incident has taken a mental toll on my child he needs physiological help and I want to still take him abroad to see what I can do for him his entire genitals was burnt and this could affect him when he is older.”
The father said while the process on the Dutch side is slow and refuses to give him joint custody of his son he said he managed to acknowledge his son last week on the French side. Artsen said when that was done he took the French birth certificate of his son to the Civil Registry so they can now change his name and that was done earlier this week but now the mother is busy these past two days to change back his name because she does not want his son to carry his name. I believe if this child was left neglected by a man or any ordinary citizen they would have been arrested, but since she is a police officer and woman on the Dutch side the law is working in her favor. I am pleading with those at the Civil Registry to follow the law because I will be going back to court with this case. I am fighting this battle for seven years and after this ordeal I am going to the very end to ensure that I get joint custody of my son and take care of him because I am his father no one can replace me.”
When asked why he did not speak out earlier Artsen said he knew SMN News had information on the case but he wanted to give the police a chance to investigate, they even promised me that they will assist me in getting me to get custody of my son but so far nothing has happened. Instead the mother is getting civil servants at the Civil Registry to do what she wants.”
SMN News did contact press prosecutor Karola Van Nie early September when the child was in hospital and Van Nie said the case was a very sensitive case and its under investigation.