Goldman child abduction case


The Goldman child abduction case refers to the international child abduction of Sean Goldman and the international petition for his repatriation by his father, David Goldman, over the objections of the family of his mother, Bruna Bianchi Carneiro Ribeiro, and her widower, João Paulo Lins e Silva.

The child abduction case

The child abduction case evolved around application of Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Sean Richard Bianchi Carneiro Ribeiro Goldman was born in the year 2000 in the United States, to an American father and Brazilian mother. In 2004, at the age of four years, Sean went to Brazil with his mother for a 2-week vacation. However, his mother refused to return to the United States. The father David Goldman vowed to have his son back and lawsuits and counter-lawsuits ensued both in the United States and in Brazil.
Bruna Bianchi eventually filed for, and was granted, a divorce by a Brazilian court. She then married Brazilian lawyer João Paulo Lins e Silva in 2007, and subsequently died while giving birth to their child in 2008. After Bruna's death, the Brazilian husband obtained a custody order for the child from the Brazilian courts by failing to inform them of Bruna's death and requesting a new Brazilian birth certificate be issued that listed himself as the father under the Brazilian concept of socio-affective paternity, on the basis of which, he refused to return the boy to David Goldman, Sean's father. Based on a decision of Brazil's Supreme Court, Sean was handed over to his father on December 24, 2009. As of January, 2010, his Brazilian family was hoping to regain custody. Sean's grandmother Silvana Bianchi Carneiro Ribeiro has vowed to continue the battle through the Brazilian courts.
New Jersey courts have denied visitation rights for both grandparents months before the grandfather's death.

International ramifications

The case was focus of international media coverage. It was also subject of deliberations during meetings of high level Brazilian and American officials. US Congress introduced H.R. 2702, legislation to suspend Brazil's Generalized System of Preferences trading benefit. The case was also discussed on the US House of Representatives floor with a statement from Congressman Chris Smith, a staunch supporter of David Goldman, a New Jersey resident; U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton treated the case as a diplomatic issue of Brazil's obligations under the Hague Convention.

Media coverage