Batman joins dads' fight for justice
July 29, 2005 Edition 2
Theresa Smith
Superheroes descended on the Cape High Court today to champion the launch of advocacy group Fathers4Justice.
Dressed in a red and blue costume, Ryan Plunkett scaled the court wall to a second-storey window, cheered on by two Spidermen, Batman and Robin, Captain Thunder and a Superdad.
The group started in the UK to fight for fathers' access to children.
It has been involved in controversial publicity stunts, including an invasion of parliament.
The founder of the local branch, Dr Steven Pretorius, in a Batman costume, spoke to the Cape Argus after descending from the unfinished bridge overlooking Lower Buitengracht Street.
There, waving their capes, the seven men had drawn attention to their banner with handheld smoke flares.
"We were having some fun with the advocates and the people wearing the black robes, but no black robes were as special as mine," Pretorius said.
They had strung up the two huge banners last night, one on the bridge and one on a building site.
The bridge was chosen to symbolise broken family ties and broken children.
Leon Saaiman, member of Fathers4Justice's National Advisory Council, said he joined to fight for access to his two-year old son.
"We are against fathers who don't pay maintenance or who beat their wives. We stand for fathers who want to play a meaningful role in the children's lives," he said. - Staff Reporter.
theresas@incape.co.za
