Thursday, March 12, 2009

Sean Goldman Abducted to Brazil - Rally in Washington DC

In 2004, Sean Goldman was abducted to Brazil from the United States by his mother, Bruna Bianchi Goldman leaving behind David Goldman, a boat skipper, model and one of those most stubborn creatures - a loving parent not prepared to take this lying down.


David Goldman has since fought for the return of Sean, for many years alone and navigating a Brazilian legal system not noted for its quality.  

Throughout, his access to Sean was blocked by Bruna until a turn of events brought even greater injustice for Sean and David Goldman.

Bruna married an attorney in Brazil, Joao Paolo lin Silva - after Bruna had unlawfully received a Brazilian custody order for Sean - this case was one of many on the way to being brushed under the international diplomatic carpet until Bruna tragically died in 2008 in childbirth.

At this point, some sense of lawful reason ought to have prevailed and Sean, who already should have been returned to the US by Brazil if the Hague Convention had been observed, was retained still further as his step-father, lin Silva now claimed Sean as his son leaving David Goldman, the real father out in the cold.

A group of friends and supporters found out of the situation and launched a campaign to bring Sean home to the United States and reunite him with David. A campaign that has reached mainstream media and national attention in the United States and which will culminate in a rally this Saturday at 2pm outside the White House as President Obama meets with President Lula of Brazil.

Sean Goldman is not going to be getting on a plane home that day, however, President Lula cannot be left in any doubt that Brazil has behaved atrociously in this matter and for 5 years where has the much vaunted Office of Childrens Issues at the State Department been?

This is a case which on a personal level angers me deeply - Brazil knows better.

Sean and David Goldman's case also causes me a degree of consternation with respect to Emily - the plight of the Goldman's is causing heads to turn and long overdue attention but where is the same level of outrage as Emily was removed from the UK by the US Embassy, hidden in the US by the same people tasked with resolving Sean's abduction, left to go blind, given to a pedophile in the adoption effort in Wisconsin or when I was jailed at the request of Barbara Greig at the State Department?  

Whatever my feelings of disgust with the US Department of State, I'll be there on Saturday at the White House to give my support to Sean and David Goldman - the individuals, and especially the children who get caught up in this mess need all the help they can get from wherever they can get it.

If you are in Washington DC or can get there the meet-up is Lafayette Park opposite the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue - a platform will be set up and the rally starts at 2pm.

See you there.




10 comments:

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Carlos Bermudez said...

Glad to hear you are coming. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Best Regards,
Carlos

Anonymous said...

If the boy is ordered to be brought back and the Brazilian government has agreed to cooperated, why can’t someone just go get him? Why can’t the our president with his officials demand him over after their meeting? It is a slap in the face that they don’t take the US seriously and the US should stop doing any kind of business with the Brazilians. They are acting like dirty brazilians, call it like you see it.

Anonymous said...

Emily was taken from the UK to America - should I call you dirty Americans?

Of course not!

This road runs both ways and there needs to be focus - a few Brazilians, some in positions of authority, have been behaving atrociously badly but then so have a few Americans - just as I will not tarnish every American with the same brush, you cannot do the same with every Brazilian or were all those Brazilians I met at the rally voicing their support for Sean and David "dirty" too?

We were all certainly cold and wet!

This kind of attitude is understandable but it hurts a damn sight more than it helps.

Anonymous said...

Posession is 9/10s of the law. Go get him!