Huguette Chartier, the mother of a woman on trial for allegedly abducting her children, testified yesterday that while she is the children's legal guardian, she still considers her daughter the main caregiver.

The daughter, Marie-Emilie Chartier, 36, faces four counts of abduction. She sparked international police alerts in March 2005 when she took her four children to Sweden. She surrendered to Swedish authorities in early May and returned to Canada, followed by the children.

Back in Canada, she was released on bail and required not to contact the children. A court order had been issued on Nov. 1, 2004 to make Huguette Chartier legal guardian of the children. They and their mother had lived with Huguette Chartier at her Ottawa home before the trip to Sweden.

Yesterday in court, Huguette Chartier said she requested "custody of the children temporarily" only so she could provide babysitting while her daughter worked. Otherwise, she regarded her daughter as the primary caregiver. She said she didn't think it necessary to impose restrictions on her daughter's access to the children.

The trial continues today.