This story reminds me of Elian Gonzalez controversy back in 2000. Same father and son story. Father lives in Cuba, family wants Elian to stay in America. Courts overrule and Elian was returned to his father in Cuba. Now this father - son story vs. mother's family in Brazil.
The chief justice of the Brazilian Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in favor of an American father in an international custody battle.
The ruling by Chief Justice Gilmar Mendes will reunite a 9-year-old boy with his father, David Goldman, who has been locked in a custody battle with the family of the boy's deceased mother. Last week a lower court unanimously upheld a decision ordering that Sean Goldman be returned to his father in New Jersey.
David Goldman arrived in Rio de Janeiro to reunite with his son, but one Supreme Court justice issued a stay, ordering Sean to remain with his Brazilian relatives until the high court could consider the case.
Mendes' decision lifted the stay, paving the way for Goldman to be reunited with his son.
The custody battle began in 2004, when Goldman's wife, Bruna Bianchi, took their then-4-year-old son from their home in New Jersey to Rio de Janeiro for what was to have been a two-week vacation. She never returned, instead remarrying there and retaining custody of Sean. She died last year in childbirth.
Goldman has argued that as the sole surviving parent, he should be granted custody.
The Bianchi family argue it would traumatize Sean to remove him from what has been his home for five years.
Unless the safety and health of a child is jeopardized, children must be allowed to be raised by their biological parents.
This case has been dragging on for 5 years
Sad really!
David Goldman deserves his parental rights to have custody and raise his son.
Enough said!
