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Bring Sean Home!

Posted by DORIAN DE WIND in Society.
Feb 16th, 2009 | Comments

By now, there are probably not too many Americans who have not been following the unbelievably tragic—and exasperating—story of an American father’s brave fight to bring his son home, an 8-year old boy who is being held in Brazil in violation of all international norms, and human decency.

The father is David Goldman.

According to the blog BringSeanHome.org,:

On June 16, 2004 David Goldman said goodbye to his son, Sean, at Newark Airport. He didn’t know it at the time but his wife, Bruna, and her parents Silvana Bianchi Ribeiro and Raimundo Ribeiro were in the process of abducting Sean and taking him to Brazil with no intention of ever returning. According to the Hague Convention, to which both the United States and Brazil are signatories, this was a clear case of international child abduction, otherwise known as parental kidnapping.

As has been reported on NBC Dateline and again this morning on the Today Show, David has been relentlessly fighting in the Brazilian judicial system during the past four years to win back custody of Sean and bring him home to their house in Tinton Falls, New Jersey.

But David has run up against two very powerful and influential families in Brazil “that have done all they can to prevent him from being reunited with Sean. He has exhausted virtually every legal option available to him in both the US and Brazil at great cost emotionally and financially.”

You say, how can this happen today, in 2009?

Well, it is happening. But you can help by contacting your Representative and asking him/her to co-sponsor House Resolution 125-Sean Goldman Abduction, and by going to BringSeanHome.org to offer your support, and where you’ll find this plea:

This incredible saga goes on each day, please take the time to read the articles that have been printed in newspapers and magazines here in the US. Although the Brazilian press (including American owned Associated Press), television and radio outlets have not reported the story due to “gag orders” issued in Brazil, a few brave periodicals such as Piauí Magazine, have defied João Paulo Lins e Silva, reported the story and paid the fines. Orders to shut down this web site were ignored because it is not owned or operated by David, this is America, we know our Constitutional rights! Please watch the videos of interviews and review the information listed on the Media and Documents page then follow along with breaking news on our Blog.

Photo: Courtesy BringSeanHome.Org

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Jillmz

Dorian - can you provide links you trust that provide an objective background of why this situation came to be in the first place? I'm actually totally unaware of it but having worked in domestic relations, really like to have access to all sides' perspectives before drawing a conclusion. Thanks!

Marlowecan

Following Dorian's links...and reading the media history on this story...the significant takeaway, I believe, is a cynical one: power matters.

Clearly, the father - a charter fishing boat owner - was outclassed by his ex-wife's new family, with their wealth and legal connections in Brazil.
Even after his ex-wife died, they could still dance rings around the father...despite his court orders.

Then a US Congressman intervenes...raises the matter in Congress...and suddenly the power of the ex-wife's new family is trumped.
The Brazilian government get involved...and the ex-wife's new family has to play fair.

I hope it works out in the best interests of the son.

But, it seems to me, this story is really about who has the biggest guns on their side.

D. E.Rodriguez

Jill:

The blogosphere is full with stories (just click David Goldman or "Bring Sean Home"). Whether they are all reliable, I don't know, but I would tend to trust NBC/MSNBC reports, they have been covering the story for over a year now

Here ar a few links

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28878143/ - 70k

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/ - 76k

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29221033/ - 2 hours ago
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29117722/from/RSS/ - 51k

As Marlowecan says, it is the case of an ordinary American against some very powerful and wealthy Brazilian families with all kinds of influence over the Brazilian government and the courts, but finally the American has support from the U.S. media and hopefully our government.

I hope that, as Marlowecan says, it works in the interest of the son, which to me would seem to be back with his biological father who loves him very much.

Dorian

Jillmz

Thanks - I will check them out. I come from the child welfare/social services side, for full disclosure (eight years at a non-profit children and family mental health agency) and want to see what the reasons were for the division in the first place and so on. No doubt, the power playing is making a mess of this young child's early life experiences - that's the real tragedy.

hamburgler

An inciteful read into the reality of the case. Political influence and wealth plays a much larger role in these cases than right, wrong or justice. Especially in Latin America and many 3rd world countries. I firmly believe that David is in the right here, but I can guarantee that has been little solace to him over these past four years. My heart goes out to David, Sean and their family. With all the media attention and focus his case has now garnered I believe Sean will be able to come home soon. I hope at some point all this media focus on David’s case will lead to someone asking the obvious, what about Mexico? There is a resolution in the House to put pressure on Brazil, but Brazil is more compliant with their Hague obligations than Mexico and only has a small fraction of the 300+ cases of family kidnapping that occur ever year with Children being taken to Mexico making it a celebrated haven for would be kidnappers of US children. I initiated Hague proceedings in Mexico in August ‘07 for my own abducted son and have flown there twice now. The family court judge there has yet to render a verdict and even when she does, irrespective of what it is, I may have to wait out the appeals process.. all that and I'm one of the lucky ones that can afford to pay attorneys.. if not my son's case would have grinded to a halt altogether some time ago. Here's hoping I don't get laid off..

D. E.Rodriguez

Thanks for your comments and for sharing your own experience. As with the David Goldman case, I wish you success with your own case. I can not even imagine how painful and exasperating such an experience could be.

Dorian de Wind

Leyda Iris Wagner

That is insane. The whole thing is like a nightmare for this father. He should write a book after all this is finished. I thought the point of sending Elian Gonzalez to his dad was that "no country can take the rights of a father regardless of where he lives". We as Americans did not want to do this to Elian's father because we did not want any country to do it to any of our citizens. The child was born in this country, hence he is an American. His mother is dead, his next of kin is his natural father. What part of this don't they understand. The USA government should put an end to this NOW. This is an urgent matter. Enough already!

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