Holy Alimony, Batman!

Man in Batman Suit Climbs Onto Court Roof

from Associated Press

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - A man in a Batman suit spent several hours on a rooftop balcony atop a courthouse in the Dutch city of Utrecht on Monday, protesting the treatment of fathers in divorce cases.

Police initially said they planned to ignore the man, a member of the group Fathers for Justice, until he came down.

But police spokeswoman Wendy Alberse said the man, whose name was not released, struck a deal to surrender peacefully. Police offered him a ladder and he climbed through a window to safety, she said.

"He won't be charged, and he has promised not to do it again," Alberse said.

Dave Ellison, a spokesman for the group Fathers for Justice, said the man's identity could not be revealed but tha his first name was Andrew.

Ellison said months of planning went into the stunt, intended to draw attention to the plight of Dutch fathers who have been barred from visiting their children after a divorce.

In September, a member of the group's British wing, wearing a Batman suit, climbed onto a balcony at Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth II's London residence.