UK: HOLLYWOOD STARS CATHERINE ZETA JONES AND MICHAEL DOUGLAS PLEDGE THEIR SUPPORT FOR A CHARITY SET UP TO HELP ABDUCTED AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN

Record ID: 390123

  • Title: UK: HOLLYWOOD STARS CATHERINE ZETA JONES AND MICHAEL DOUGLAS PLEDGE THEIR SUPPORT FOR A CHARITY SET UP TO HELP ABDUCTED AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN
  • Date: 5th October 2000
  • Summary: LONDON, UK (OCTOBER 5, 2000) (REUTERS) ( ** BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) SLV NIGHT SHOTS OF ENTRANCE TO SAVOY HOTEL/CAR ARRIVING (2 SHOTS) CU OF MEDIA MCU CHERIE BLAIR ARRIVING MCU SHAKIRA CAINE, WIFE OF MICHAEL CAINE ARRIVING MCU MORE GUESTS ARRIVING INCLUDING SHAKIRA CAINE, WIFE OF MICHAEL CAINE ( WITH DANGLING EARRINGS) AND BRITISH POLITICAN PAUL BOATENG MCU MICHAEL
  • Embargoed: 20th October 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA6N8XMWPYVUENZRYP0YVFGF787
  • Story Text: Hollywood stars Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas have pledged their support for a charity set up to help abducted and exploited children. The soon-to-be-wed couple met supporters of the charity in London at a glittering society 'auction' hosted by Cherie Blair, wife of Britain's Prime Minister.
    Michael Douglas and soon-to-be-wife Catherine Zeta Jones attended a charity function in London to support its work in helping abducted and exploited children.
    The couple were not available for comment but the charity's co-founder Lady Katherine Meyer was pleased to see their support.
    Lady Catherine Meyer's children were abducted by her estranged husband six years ago and since then she has only seen them for one day: "It was 24 hours in total, and then maybe one month later I was allowed to see them again, and then for a whole year I couldn't get access to them," Lady Catherine told Reuters.
    " In some countries, like in Germany access rights are not enforceable, they were minimal rights, my ex-husband did not abide to them .
    "What led me to where we are today is that, I started receiving letters from hundreds ofparents and I was horrified and so many children are being separated in this way by their parents."
    British Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife Cherie is the patron of the ICMEC (International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children) and says she feels strongly about the cause.
    "As a lawyer I have in the past been involved in cases about child abduction," Mrs Blair said.
    "It was meeting Catherine and hearing her story that brought home to me the cruelty and injustice of her situation and that of many parents around the world. Catherine hasd been separeated from her children for over 5 years when their father abductred them to Germany. The local courts have given him custodey and have failed to give her proper access.
    Lady Catherine has not had any contact with her children since she saw them for those 24 hous.
    She hopes that the charity will help her to gain proper access and to re-eestablish a proper relationship with the children she hasn't seen in six years.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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