Father fears wife's Wiccan ways

He says he couldn't locate daughter after Halloween

PUBLISHED: December 5, 2006

By Chad Halcom
Macomb Daily Staff Writer

A young girl taken by her Wiccan mother for the Halloween holiday will spend Christmas with her Catholic father, in a divorce and custody battle that came to a temporary truce Monday at Macomb County Circuit Court.

Gregory Haines of Clinton Township, and his attorney claim he hadn't seen 17-month-old daughter Jessika Haines since his estranged wife, Jennifer Haines, took the girl away on or shortly before Halloween and moved to St. Clair County. After she left, officials said, the father allegedly learned more about Mrs. Haines' practice of Wicca and became concerned for the child.

"He'd read some diary entries or hers, and she had made some statements about Halloween being an important day, not a holy day but a highly significant day, and he couldn't contact or locate his daughter after that," explained Richard Marcil, an attorney for Mr. Haines in the case. "We had contact today, however, and all that appears to have been overblown."

The Haines divorce case was set for an emergency hearing Monday before Macomb County Circuit Judge Mark Switalski on interim custody, protection of the child and other issues. However, the parties agreed in court Monday to an arrangement where Mr. Haines will have physical custody of Jessika three days per week beginning immediately.

Mr. Haines filed for divorce from Jennifer Haines on Nov. 21, after she'd left him some three weeks earlier; court documents cite her practice of Wicca and allege she had the child without his consent. Mrs. Haines acknowledges being a Wiccan adherent but denies snatching or absconding with the child.

"She had simply moved out to her parents' house when she left. Religion doesn't really play a role in this case except in the arguments of the plaintiff (Mr. Haines) and his attorney," said attorney Paul Addis, who is representing Mrs. Haines.

"They had been talking about splitting up for some time, and he was even present with her when she packed to leave. He can't really claim to be surprised about the separation."

Wicca is a neopagan religion that came into popularity in the late 20th century and claims to have its roots in pre-Christian European pagan faiths, with a limited emphasis on magic and a world view based on a god and mother earth-type goddess along with elements of power and a code of ethics.

It is sometimes compared with witchcraft, although Addis said his client has not claimed to practice witchcraft.

"This and the fact she left with the child on Halloween, it kind of freaked him out a little since he's a Catholic by faith and some of his family are particularly strong adherents," Marcil said. "We were mainly afraid she wouldn't show today in court, or she wouldn't have a lawyer and there might still be no contact."

Marcil said Monday was the first time Mr. Haines has seen his daughter since Halloween.

But under the agreement reached Monday in Switalski's court, Mr. Haines will have physical custody of Jessika from Saturday evening through Tuesday effective immediately, and Mrs. Haines will have Jessika the remainder of each week. This will include the Christmas holiday in three weeks, although attorneys said the couple still expects to have further discussion or legal arguments in court on a final custody arrangement.

"We will argue our case in court pleadings. She (Mrs. Haines) doesn't have a problem with their daughter being raised as Catholic."