Saudi father urged to help son in Guatemala

RIYADH: A Guatemalan woman has appealed to the Saudi father of their three-year-old son to meet his responsibilities and sign documents that would allow the little boy to attend school and travel.

Mandre Chang, the mother of Sami, said that his father had signed a document acknowledging paternity, but now needs to do his duty by sorting out other documentation.
In an interview with Arab News, Chang said she has to pay a fine of $10 a day because the boy does not have legal documents to attend school in Guatemala. He also cannot get dual citizenship without his father’s permission.
Chang met the Saudi citizen, who cannot be named for legal reasons, when they were students in Minnesota in the United States in 2011. They had a relationship, which he later called off, said Chang.
Chang said that she had contacted the Saudi Embassy and explained her situation. She was referred to a lawyer and was able to contact Sami’s father’s family in the Kingdom through social media.
It was then arranged for DNA samples to be taken from Sami to determine whether he was their relative. Chang said she complied and the samples were sent through to Riyadh. Sami’s father then signed a document acknowledging he was the father.
“I am trying to provide the best for my son. I don’t want money or anything else from his father, other than his signature to finalize my son’s legal documents. It is not fair that Sami has to suffer because of his father’s mistakes. He is destroying his life. My son deserves to be free to travel and go to school,” she said.
Chang has highlighted her case on the website saudichildrenleftbehind.com, where she complained about the way she was treated. She was also interviewed on Sky News Arabia about her attempts to have the father of her son take up his responsibilities.