Brazilian Court Suspends Return of NJ Boy on 5-Year 'Vacation'

A New Jersey man who has been attempting to get his son returned from Brazil for the past five years was hours away from regaining custody—only to have a judge intervene and put the kibosh on it once again. David Goldman's son Sean has been living in Rio de Janeiro since his mother Bruna took him down there for a vacation in 2004, divorced Goldman, remarried and never returned. Last year, she died while giving birth to a child with her new husband, whom Sean, 9, now lives with. The case for Sean's return to his Tinton Falls home has become an international political battle led by NJ Congressman Chris Smith and echoed by Secretary of State Clinton. A Brazilian federal judge had issued an order Monday granting Goldman custody, but yesterday a Supreme Court justice intervened, suspending the order. David Goldman called the move "heartbreaking and disgraceful” and his lawyer said, “Brazil needs to define itself as either a nation of laws or a nation that harbors and protects child abductors.” The Brazilian Supreme Court must take up the case now.

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By Billy Parker in News on June 3, 2009 4:52 PM

Comments [rss]

NannyState

What does anyone expect from a country where child abduction is a way of life? Where children are routinely scooped up off the streets and from the favelas? I hear that in extreme cases, some of them even turn up alive.

Kiki

I was listening to him speak this afternoon. His story, as he tells it, is heartbreaking. I do wonder, however, if there is more to the story. Not saying this is the case, but there is the possibility that there was some domestic violence between he and the child's mother. This would explain a)why she left the way she did and b) why the courts are not giving him custody.

GoToHell

I really hate Brazil, and this is just one reason why. It's scummy country, no matter how beautiful the natural landscape.

mellow_fellow

Chillax, people. It's called an appeal. It happens in the U.S. all the time.

Tamar Weinberg

Clearly you have no idea how long the father has already been waiting.

chuzzlewit

anybody asked the kid what he wants to have happen?

Tamar Weinberg

You try asking a 9-year-old who has been distanced from his father against his knowledge what he wants to have happen. He doesn't know his father anymore. It's been 5 years! His father has a right to get to know his son, but Brazil doesn't seem to want to allow that. It's disgusting.

r1b2

I don't get it. Aren't there SWAT teams or something to deal with this kind of bullshit? Nuke 'em.

nicemarmot

Jesus, everytime I read about this it makes me angry. I can't even imagine what that poor guy has been going through. His wife was quite possibly the worst person ever. It's not like anyone's claiming that the dad beat the kid or the mom or anything. She just stole the kid and the dad never saw him again.