Israeli court hears custody fight over cable car survivor, 6
ABC News
The bitter custody battle over a 6-year-old boy who survived a cable car crash in Italy is inching forward in an Israeli court
JERUSALEM -- The bitter custody battle over a 6-year-old boy who survived a cable car crash in Italy inched forward in Israel on Monday with a hearing in family court.
Eitan Biran's relatives on both sides attended the session in Tel Aviv, in a legal fight that spans both countries where his remaining relatives reside. Eitan's immediate family was among 14 people killed when the cable car carrying them crashed into a mountainside in May. The child's survival sparked an immediate international dispute between his maternal and paternal families.
Members of both families met in family court in Tel Aviv on Monday, a next step in the dispute. Those present included Eitan's aunt Aya Biran, who lives in Italy and has filed a formal request with the Italian court system seeking Eitan’s return to Italy. Also attending Monday's hearing was the child's grandfather, Shmulik Peleg, who spirited the boy away to Israel.
Eitan’s relatives in Italy say he was taken without their knowledge and are seeking his return. The child's relatives in Israel have denied to local media that they abducted Eitan and insist they are acting in his interest.
