TESTIMONY
Robert has not seen his children since he and his wife divorced. It's been 32 years. Since then, he says his brother has taken over his children and refuses to put him in contact with them. Robert also says that his brother did not tell him that his ex-wife was dead, and that the latter left him no memory of their deceased father. At the microphone of "La Libre antenna", on Europe 1, Robert confides in Olivier Delacroix about the lack of his children.
>> Listen to Robert's testimony in full here
"I have not seen my children for 32 years. I got married too early. I was a controller in the TGV. I was all the time up and down, to the right, to the left. I had adventures. That is my problem. I went through a very hard divorce. My ex-wife put my children on my back. I divorced in 1988 and since then I have not seen my children . For 32 years, I have tried to contact them several times. My mother has a companion, they always go to their house. After my mother tells me that my children are cute, it hurts my heart, it works me.
" They celebrate Christmas and birthdays with each other "My brother has taken over the lives of my children. He's playing daddy hen. My brother makes no effort. I tried to contact him by internet, but he did not answer me. The last dirt he gave me: my ex-wife died of breast cancer, he didn't even tell me. It was my mother who told me. I divorced, but that's the least I can do to warn me. I would have gone to the funeral. Everything is like that.
It has been going on for 32 years. I will be 70 this year and I would love to see my children. I would like to do something that could be useful, I would like to have a restaurant meal with my children, their wives and me. My first son must be 38 and my youngest must be 35. I have been without my children for 32 years and they always put my head under water. They celebrate Christmas and birthdays between them and I am in my corner.
" I am the ugly duckling "My father is dead. Before I left for my father's funeral, I broke my car engine. My brother didn't want to come get me. I took the train and when I got there the funeral was over. He stole the medals from my father who was in the military. Everything is gone. I got nothing, not even a pen or a pair of socks. Nothing. There are a lot of things that work for me.
Maybe I'll see a lawyer who can advise me. I want to send a letter to my brother telling him everything he's done to me. I would like to tell her, "I want to know what you are doing to my children. Why can't I see them? Why did you bury my first wife without telling me that she was dead? Why didn't I have one? remember daddy? " He monopolizes everything. It's sunny and I am the ugly duckling.
>> Find Olivier Delacroix's Libre antenna in replay and podcast here
It's the same with my sister. My sister and I are really the offspring of the family. My sister doesn't speak to him either. It hurts my heart. I do not have the coordinates of my children. I can't find them on Facebook. I tried to come forward, I asked my mother to put me in touch with my children, but my brother refused and said that my children did not want to see me anymore. My mom has nothing against me, but she doesn't want to interfere. My brother is so manipulative, he can say anything.
I didn't do anything wrong, I got divorced. My children have left me behind. It moves me. Now I have a stable situation, I have my dog, I have my quiet life, I have my apartment, but what I miss are my children. Even though my kids don't want to see me, I want to know what my brother has against me. My brother has done some harm, and he's the one who gets the good things back, the children and the grandchildren. "