I have major concerns about ripping this child from his adopted home and country. He’s almost 10 and probably considers himself Brazilian. He’s been in Brazil since he was 5. That means all his education has been in Brazil. He’s probably more comfortable speaking Portuguese instead of English.
Why hasn’t the media looked into Goldman’s background? Have they considered there might be a valid reason that the mom fled to Brazil with the child? What if he’s abusive? No one knows what went on inside that marriage. The mother obviously felt a need to get herself and her child far away from this guy.
Is it possible that the Brazilian family that’s taking care of Sean is abusive!? Why hasn’t the media looked into THAT!? Maybe the mom had a crazy vindictive streak and was just using Sean as a pawn to wound her ex-husband! We have no idea what sort of twisted things might have been going through her head when she abruptly ripped her son away from the only home he’d even known! :rolleyes:
No evidence has been put forth to suggest that either side has been (or would be) abusive toward Sean. And since this case has already been heard by multiple courts, we can safely assume that if such evidence did exist, it would have already been used by one side to gain leverage over the other.
I agree—if there were any real dirt to be found, it would have already been shouted out from the mountaintops by one group or the other.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Sometimes a tragic situation is just a tragic situation.
This case is an unfortunate demonstration how our world is not a zero-sum game. We grow up feeling that if someone gains a dollar then someone else lost a dollar, and if somebody is right, then somebody else is wrong. Yet, this is not always so. Both sides have compelling family arguments, with the slight advantage (IMHO) being for the fact that there is a biological father to take care of the boy. This does not have to mean that the love and desires of the Brazilian family are any less.
Indeed, I imagine victory for the father will be bittersweet, with much struggle in the future. Regardless of the outcome (staying or leaving Brazil) the whole family will suffer.
I realize the trauma that will effect this young boy for the rest of his life because he has only known the kidnappers since he was so young. However the father did not create this. He has been asking for his son back for five years. I am glad for the father and the boy, but this is the right thing to do, at least now the child will be bi-lingual I am sure. But what puzzles me so much is WHY did the Brazillian family not want to return him? This is clearly his father and I am not involved and can see that the mother kidnapped the boy. This child will be in therapy I am sure for some time. I’m glad the father did not give up, good for him, he never created this situation and the other family could have ended it long before it came to this.
Best interest of the child works both ways, the Brazilian family should have considered that five years ago and let him go back to his father after he was kidnapped.
That was not his (Goldman) doing, it was caused by the Mother and the Brazilian step-father. The delay in bringing Sean back to Goldman was caused by Brazil and the court system that was constantly appealed by the step-father.
The right thing is being done now.
If it was the other way around would a USA court keep the child from his Mother?
It may be off topic a bit but what is going to happen in the case of Tiger Woods with his current wife since she bought a home in Sweden? Is she going to be allowed to take their children to Sweden anytime she wants? What happens if this becomes the exact same problem?
It has been reported that this is what she wants to do.
Presumably, she (assuming they divorce) and Mr. Woods will negotiate custody as party of their separation agreement. That agreement may allow her to take the children to Sweden any time she wants, or it may not. Entirely different thing from kidnapping.
This doesn’t mean what you think it does. A child born outside of Brazil to a Brazilian parent(s) doesn’t need to apply for citizenship so much as they need to stand and be counted. It’s more registration than application.
From what I understand this is David Goldmans HOUSE not bad at all. I’m sure Sean will love it. And has anyone heard what Goldman does for a living?
Wish them the best and always wondered if Sean spoke Portuguese or English and heard the other day that his first language is Portuguese but he does speak broken english.
From what the Brazilian family has told the press, save for certain appearances as a model, David Goldman didn’t work at all and his wife supported the family.
She had enough and fled to Brazil, from where she filed a divorce.
Still, according to the Brazilian family, David received US$150 000.00 in order to give up seeing his son.
When the mother of the boy died, he became the heir of a considerable wealth. That’s when David decided to have his son back.
Besides that, David sold the rights of his case to CNN (the network payed for a private plane to transport David and the boy back to the Sates). So, I think that Goldman has enough money now.
Meaning that he was Sean’s primary caregiver prior to the divorce. What usually happens in these situations is that the child stays with the primary caregiver who receives child-support payments from the other spouse.
I love how when a mom stays home with the kid’s she’s a loving, caring mother. But when a dad stays home with the kids he’s a useless leech who deserves to be dumped. :rolleyes:
Can you possibly be serious? The boy’s mother died in August 2008, sixteen months ago. David Goldman had been trying to get his son back since June 2004, for more than five years! Cite.
True, but he made a settlement with Sean’s grandparents to give up his son in exchange of 150 thousand dollars. Only after his ex-wife death he wanted the boy back.
As I said, these are allegations of the Brazilian family. It’s hard to know the truth.
Nice speculation but the plane was CHARTERED BY NBC and they paid for the trip NOT CNN.
The story says “landed in Orlando on a private jet chartered by NBC.” so even NBC admits they paid for the trip and will be holding a special early in January on this case.
Although I didn’t know he didn’t work. Not sure if I believe that since he’s been trying to get custody for 5 years. But I am skeptical about his interests.
No, quite wrong. It’s not generally better for a child to remain with the biological parents. It’s generally better for the child to be in a good family. Whether that’s his biological parents, one biological and one step-parent, one single biological parent, a foster family or an adoptive family, or an SOS family group, depends completely on the individual circumstances in each case and can thus vary wildly.
It is true that many countries still place emphasis first on the children remaining with the biological family instead of taking them away to a group home, but in those cases the biological family is the default option. Taking a child away from a working family because they aren’t biologically is not generally considered the best solution, unless there’s abuse or other factors.
I’m not sure what your biology comment means, but a quick search of Google gives me the impression that German judges will side with the German parent no matter what, and Germany’s child custody laws seem to be out of step with the rest of the EU.
