Teino Evans, Staff Reporter

Kareem 'QQ' Dawkins

The parents of popular child star Kareem 'QQ' Dawkins were yesterday released after they were taken into police custody Thursday for failing to show for a court case.

QQ's father, Joseph 'GQ' Dawkins, said neither parents were aware a new court date was set.

"The judge had issued us joint custody of the child until me and the mother resolved our differences. The judge said we were to come back to court on November 2, but when I went, the judge said no court would not be keeping because of the heavy rain. So the Child Aggregate and clerk of the court would contact us about the new court date," he said. "Nobody called us to give us no date to go back to court, but the judge said she had set a date for March 14, but neither me or Kareem's mother, (Jackquee Banks) turned up, because we were not aware of that court date."

Hence when he and Banks visited the Child Aggregate Thursday, they were taken into custody.

Both parents were given $70,000 bail.

The dancehall child star has been at the centre of an ongoing custody battle between his parents.

In 2007, QQ was placed in the custody of a neutral party while his parents follow a court order to attend professional counselling.

A Family Court judge awarded his parents joint custody of the child star, but said they will have to attend counselling. When the counselling is complete, the parents were to return to court for the judge to make an assessment and determine which parent 13-year-old QQ should live with.

At the court sitting, it was also determined that his father, GQ would continue to manage QQ's career.