Middlesbrough Council - News Forum - Setting a light to the News

Executive Summary
 This is a verified story . One man’s journey to be reunited with his son.
 Mark Heslehurst, from Middlesbrough is attempting to be reunited with his son Edward (a British/French National aged just 9 years old) who is currently living in Cambodia with his mother Dominique after she fled for her and her sons safety from the threats of a very powerful global company called BioMérieux.
 Dominique is unable to return at this time because of fear of this company, and the very deep psychological trauma associated with this case.In Cambodia she became suicidal and worked in fields which were still mined and full of high explosives .
 Mark has collected over 100 000 signatures including a dedicated support group of 48,000 with a view to raising this issue up the political agenda and get a debate in the House of Commons on the corruption practices and threats of this company against his family.And through awareness this debate will bring a way be found to return his family.
 Mark is seeking assurances from the British Government for the family’s safety and their intervention to mediate a return of Edward his son back to the UK.To review its association with Biomerieux .
 Mark has written 40 times to his local MP Sir Stuart Bell (Labour), and has been unsuccessful in meeting with him, being told to go away until he has 100,000 signatures to his campaign. 1300 constituents of Sir Stuart have written official letters asking why Mark has not had assistance. Not one has received response. Mark has now achieved the 100 000 signatures and Sir Stuart Bell now denies making this demand despite 5 people willing to swear affidavits under oath that he did including Michael Lunn Chairman Wealdon conservative party who has gone public and written to the PM David Cameron testifying to this .
 Mark is determined to be reunited with his son Edward , this is a story of love and of a single mans silent, peaceful campaign for his family to be reunited.
Background
In 1996, Mark Heslehurst (A British citizen) went to France to start a new career as a Business English teacher where he met his wife Dominique (A citizen of France and Cambodia).In 1999 whilst working alone as an independent teacher Mark was contracted by BioMérieux to provide English classes to the companies employees,over 350 in total. Mark established his own company the same year totally dependent upon Biomerieux . This French based company is one of the top ten microbiology and in vitro diagnostics companies in the world. The company headquarters are in Lyon, France, but it has subsidiaries in the UK, Australia, Canada and United States. BioMérieux contracted Mark to provide English language services over four years leading to the development of one of the biggest language schools in France employing over 40 English teachers.
However, business relationships with BioMérieux broke down in 2001 after Mark notified authorities within the company regarding sexual harassment from a senior HR executive who had multiple sexual relationships with many senior executives across this company up to senior vice president level .
The Nightmare begins
The person in question was dismissed in April 2002, but had significant connections across this powerful company.These connections fearing they would be exposed began a campaign of threats to make Mark retract his complaint . As a whistle-blower, Mark Heslehurst and his wife were then subject to blackmail, loss of business contracts and had significant threats made against them. Including threats to send criminals into their home to look for papers,that Mark could be attacked and that their computers were been hacked into and their personal e mails intercepted . Edward, Mark’s son was born premature in September 2002 in Lyon right in the middle of this developing situation. The stress on the family was intense but was to get worst.
The family started to receive hundreds of anonymous phone calls (some threatening). Mark even had nails placed under his car tyres 13 times over a short period of time, once with serious consequences when his car left the road. Mark was physically attacked twice, and on the second occasion was hospitalized and was rushed to the emergency room of a Lyon hospital, and then transferred to another hospital which specialized in head injuries.
After Mark was attacked the second time (in 2004), he went to French police again who had been building their case ,concerned about the seriousness of the attack they entered BioMérieux offices during their investigation. BioMérieux refused to give any assistance to the police. The police informed Mark and his wife that this attack was certainly a revenge attack by people connected to the company and the French Police were sure there would be more in the future. Mark was informed by the Gendarme that BioMérieux knew some powerful characters in the criminal underworld in Lyon and the family should be very careful even leave the country .
In 2004, Mark decided to stop working with Biomerieux after another attempt at blackmail. But despite the break in contractual ties with this company the threats continued. Mark wrote to Alain Merieux, Head of BioMérieux in Lyon, France pleading with him to put a stop to the threats against his family. All through the years Alain Merieux never stopped the abuse and the threats. The threats continued and in the end this family lost everything, their business, home, health, and marriage.
The final straw was after a call in 2008 from Thierry Bernard, Vice-President of BioMérieux, North Carolina, who spoke openly and confirmed his knowledge of previous threats made by his company to Mr Heslehurst’s family that gangsters (French word for criminals) could enter Mark’s office or home looking for papers and that the family could be attacked at any time .
The impacts on a family
In 2004, Mark found his wife so distressed that she was standing on the outside ledge of their property two floors up just staring into space. All the threats, lies, pressure and attacks from BioMérieux had taken their toll.Dominique Heslehurst who before her association with BioMérieux had no adverse medical condition . Over the association with Biomerieux saw doctors for stress and blood pressure was hospitalized and had paramedics coming to her house whilst having serious panick attacks ,saw psychiatrists and mis-carried several times. Biomerieux named with all official bodies .
The family returned to England in December 2006 to try to put this tragic nightmare behind them and start again. But there was too much hurt and pain for Mrs Heslehurst, she was physically and emotionally traumatised.
In November 2007, Mrs Heslehurst returned to France to be near her family but she could not live in France. She had too many bad memories. She was worried she might be attacked. She was afraid to live in her own country.
When Mrs Heslehurst returned to France she was 6-8 weeks pregnant with their second child. The trauma of the prevailing years had severe mental impact on this mother. The family were forbidden in all banks after losing their company. In this impossible position and under doctors advice, she terminated the pregnancy. She carries this guilt today though she had no choice at the time.
Desperate Times call for desperate Measures
2008 The stress of the whole situation led to Dominique telling Mark that she was making plans to leave France back to her native country of Cambodia for her and son’s own safety.
When Mark learnt of his wife’s intent to flee to Cambodia to live with his son he brought his son back to England to have a legal ruling .The couple fought against each other for their own son.The 1980 Hague Convention ruled Edward had to be returned to France for a legal ruling even though Mark explained Mrs Heslehurst s condition and intent. Edward returned to France and before any further hearing his wife fled for her safety to Cambodia. By this time both parents were confused, frightened and mentally unwell.
Mr Heslehurst and his wife maintained contact and his wife explained to him that she was still deeply traumatised at the threats made towards her and her family by BioMérieux.That she could not return to England she was so ill and had to get as far away as she could to protect herself and their son .Mark fully understood what his wife was saying and decided not to attack her further and stopped his legal action .January 2009 Dominique was suicidal in Cambodia. In desperation Mark wrote (fax ) 30 times over a few weeks to BioMérieux and specifically Alain Merieux (The then Chairman and remains a major shareholder to BioMérieux) himself and Mark pleaded with him to help Dominique and Edward in any way and to give his family assurances that the company would leave them alone.
The Global reach of a Global Company
2009 , Dominique ill was now working in fields which were still mined and scattered with high explosives where people had recently been killed .Biomerieux were now been contacted by official bodies from around the world. Dominique was suddenly formally requested to attend the French Embassy in Cambodia. The French Embassy official told her that they would like to speak to her about her health, and the welfare of Edward and named Mark heslehurst .
Dominique was devastated and thought Mark had betrayed her to try to get his son back. Fearing losing her son she informed the Embassy “ she was happy in Cambodia “ It took six weeks for Mark and Dominique to understand that the communications with the French Embassy in Cambodia had been developed through BioMérieux. Dominique finally got confirmation of this from the French Embassy who confirmed Mark had not initiated the Embassy contact but that it had come from France . Biomerieux began to communicate with bodies around the world. Realising that this company had used her mental condition against her,Dominique decided she must state why she went to Cambodia once and for all. Dominique quotes in her letter of witness and in Cambodian press “I never intended to return to Cambodia, I am here because of threats made to me and my son by the global company BioMérieux, they attacked me and my husband because they found in Mark, a man they could not buy or intimidate. I feel guilty separating Mark from his son, I came here as a refugee”.
A father’s journey to be reunited with his family
Rather than take the legal route and to avoid hurting Dominique further who had suffered so much .Mark started a global peaceful silent campaign to be reunited with his son Edward.
In December 2010, Mark travelled to North Carolina USA ( Where the final call came from which scattered his family ),and spent 5 months outside the North American HQ of Biomeireux. Sitting under a banner which showed a picture of Edward his son , and had the simple word ‘Reunite’. Sitting through the worst winter, Mark silently campaigned for 14 hours a day, and gave out 20,000 leaflets. The company paid $40,000 to the local police to have a armed sheriff keep watch over Mark, and Mark later learnt that ‘Captain Plagett’s’ son got a full time job at Biomeireux in exchange for the police’s support. On a regular basis Mark was intimidated and threatened, moved from one day to the next. However, on one evening the company painted an orange line two miles long, and Mark was told that if he crossed the line he would be arrested. On one day when the sheriff was not present, Mark crossed the line to silently campaign directly outside the doors of the company .Two men came up to him and said that if he did not leave the area, his throat would be cut, at marks insistence an official investigation was opened . This is just a few of the many examples of threats Mark has incurred over the years. Of course this is all backed up by evidence.
Returning to England in September 2011.October 2011 Mark was given special permission by Charing Cross Police to silently and peacefully campaign outside Number 10 Downing street . A permit was issued, and Mark spent 11 days and 11 nights sleeping on the pavement in the most adverse weather conditions. Marks family contacted many levels of the UK Government, including Mark’s local MP Sir Stuart Bell for help, but not even a meeting was arranged to hear Marks story. And then during the evening of the 11th night Mark received a text from Dominique telling Mark that Edward his son was undergoing an emergency operation. This was one of the hardest 24 hours of Marks life.
Mark then walked from London all the way home to Teeside sometimes walking through the night , taking 13 days, giving out flyers and collecting signatures for his petition. Since returning he has continued to try and meet with his local MP without success, being told to go away and collect 100,000 signature before Sir Stuart Bell may be prepared to meet with Mark and listen to his story.
Mark who began this journey alone, now has 100,000 plus signatures with his target to trigger debate in the house of commons .Over 97, 000 signatures are from Marks home area of Teesside but still cannot get local MP support .
After telling Mark to collect 100 000 signatures and he may get to meet his MP .Sir Stuart Bell is now saying he never made this demand. Contrary to E mails sent from Mark .And several peoples testimony who had contacted Sir Stuarts office .
All the above Substantiated by legal documents,letters of witness and polygraph test supported by two of the worlds leading authorities .
Mark’s goal is clear that through the awareness brought by the British Government debating this story a way be found to reunite his family.That he can bring Edward his son home without attacking and destroying a mother and in turn hurt his son who have both suffered so much.That she has the free will to return of her own choice without legal or Government pressure to a place of comfort and security and and be allowed to recover in a stress free environment to become her former self .
7th April 2012 Mark will walk from Middlesbrough to 10 Downing street (300 miles ) to deliver his petition.Walk will begin with large rally in Middlesbrough in support of Marks cause.
http://edwardmylife.com/