Shady Ammane

Shady Ammane (born September 18, 1975) is a Franco-Swiss teacher and whistleblower of Syrian descent known for his advocacy in child protection reform in Switzerland. Ammane's work in this area stems from his experiences as a father involved in contentious custody proceedings, which led him to publicly criticize Geneva's child protection system (Service de Protection des Mineurs, SPMi) for its perceived systemic failures. He is recognized for founding the collective Printemps de l'Égalité Coparentale en Suisse (PECS), which campaigns for parental rights and greater transparency within child protection services in Switzerland.
==Whistleblowing and Advocacy==
In 2018, Ammane established Printemps de l'Égalité Coparentale en Suisse (PECS), a collective of parents advocating for comprehensive reforms in Switzerland's child protection services. The collective, supported by experts and advocates, aims to expose and address systemic issues within the SPMi, including failures to act in the best interests of children, as well as a lack of transparency and accountability in the system. His advocacy efforts have been covered by Swiss media, including discussions on the challenges faced by divorced fathers and the institutional bias against them in custody battles.
Ammane's advocacy culminated in a petition to the Human Rights Commission of Geneva's Grand Council in 2018. This led to an investigation into the grievances brought forward by PECS. The investigation specifically focused on Ammane's term "Stolen Childhood Act II," referring to the continued mistreatment of children in Switzerland, particularly those forcibly placed in institutions or foster care following divorces, known as the "Enfants Placés" scandal. The Commission's 2020 report recognized Ammane as a whistleblower and highlighted serious malfunctions within the child protection system, ultimately urging comprehensive reforms.
==Personal and Professional Impact==
Ammane's legal battles and advocacy have come at a significant personal cost. His contentious fight over parental custody has resulted in financial instability and increasing isolation from his professional network. His whistleblowing efforts have also led to professional and social ostracism, with some organizations associated with Geneva's child protection system allegedly attempting to undermine his credibility. These attempts included efforts to remove him from his teaching position without valid grounds or proper evaluations.
In Switzerland, mothers with full custody of their children receive a higher pension, a policy that has been criticized for potentially creating financial incentives to pursue full custody.
In 2017, Ammane contested a court decision that denied him custody rights. As part of this process, he was required to undergo a psychological evaluation at Geneva's university hospital (HUG), an institution affiliated with the Service de Protection des Mineurs (SPMi). The evaluation resulted in a diagnosis of a personality disorder, which Ammane argues was used to undermine his credibility as a critic of the child protection system.
Two years later, independent medical assessments overturned this diagnosis. However, the reversal did not affect the court's decisions regarding his custody rights. These events have had a significant impact on Ammane's mental health, leading to severe psychological distress.
Ammane's situation reflects broader concerns about the adequacy of psychological evaluations in custody cases in Switzerland, as noted by multiple stakeholders who brought their cases before the Human Rights Commission of Geneva's Grand Council in 2020. These concerns are echoed by Liviu Poenaru, a clinical psychologist and co-director of the journal IN ANALYSIS, who has documented significant biases and ethical violations in psychiatric evaluations used in custody decisions, stating that they often do not meet scientific standards. His research emphasizes that such practices can lead to the unjustified removal of custodial rights and cause psychological trauma.
==Institutional Critique and the Push for Child Protection Reform in Switzerland==
Ammane's advocacy efforts have also led to public discussions and criticisms of the child protection services in Geneva. Several professionals, including lawyers, medical experts, and academics, have publicly spoken out in support of reforming the system. The media has reported on concerns raised by these professionals regarding institutional failures and perceived bias against fathers in custody disputes. For example, articles in Le Courrier and Les Temps have highlighted the dissatisfaction among parents and professionals regarding the practices of the Service de Protection des Mineurs (SPMi) and related bodies, such as the Centre de Consultations Enfants Adolescents Familles (CCEAF).
==Current Status==
Shady Ammane remains separated from his children and continues to face the repercussions of his whistleblowing and costly custody proceedings. He is facing significant financial distress due to his debt to legal aid, which places him at risk of salary garnishment and further legal actions that could worsen his financial instability.
==See also==
* Fathers' rights movement
* Fathers' rights movement by country
* Parental Alienation
* List of whistleblowers
Category:1975 births
Category:Swiss educators
Category:Whistleblowers