Aide: Brazilian family giving up fight for US boy

[Are_grits_groceries]

RIO DE JANEIRO -- A Brazilian family has decided to end its legal fight for custody of a 9-year-old boy and will obey a court order to turn him over to his U.S. father, an aide to the family's lawyer said Wednesday.

"It is certain the family will not pursue any more legal channels," the aide to lawyer Sergio Tostes said, speaking on condition of anonymity because she wasn't authorized to discuss the matter.

Tostes, reached by telephone, referred inquiries to his office.

The decision ends a five-year legal fight by David Goldman to regain custody of his son, Sean.

Earlier Wednesday, a federal court in Rio ordered the family to relinquish Sean to Goldman by 9 a.m. (6 a.m. EST; 1100 GMT) Thursday.

U.S. Republican Rep. Chris Smith, of New Jersey, in Brazil to support Goldman, said Goldman's lawyers believe Brazil's federal police are authorized to physically remove the child from the family if it does not meet the court deadline. He also said the international police agency Interpol had been notified to make sure Sean was not flown out of Brazil.
http://www.thestate.com/breaking/story/1082070.html

Hopefully, this will end it. I still think it will be hard for a while. The child has spent a lot of time with his maternal relatives.

[elehhhhna]

1. reminds me of the Elian Gonzalez battle

[Are_grits_groceries]

2. Not nearly as bad in a way.

In that mess you had the anti-Castro movement versus the Cuban government. It was a complete political hot potato. The Brazilian case was moving to government levels, but the hostility was more personal.

The problems for those directly involved such as the children and their fathers was awful.

[elehhhhna]

5. the whole "cuba sucks" justification for keeping him from an apparently loving father

said much about the American public.

[Meldread]

3. I agree this is awful for the child.

It would have been so much easier on him had he been returned to his father after his mother's death. I can understand why the step-father wanted to keep the boy. He probably loved him like his own son, which isn't a bad thing... unless... you have another father who wants to be in the boy's life.

In the end, the boy is going to feel like he's losing his Brazilian family. I can only hope that he won't resent his biological father's actions, and they'll be able to repair and develop a strong relationship. The father looked like he was a good dad. I wish both of them the best, and hope the child can make an easy transition. I know it'll be hard on him. The whole situation is tragic.

[Pithlet]

4. Even easier still had the mother never just taken off with him in the first place.

But yeah, it's a sad story. I'm glad justice is finally being done and he's being returned to his father.

[Meldread]

7. Agreed.

What she did was completely awful. It's entirely her fault.

I can't blame the step-father for falling in love with the child and wanting to keep him. This is what I am assuming at least, I can't think of any other reason he'd fight to keep the kid if he didn't care for him.

I hope his biological father realizes that, and realizes that his son has likely developed a close relationship with his step family... and doesn't completely try and sever it. That wouldn't be good for his son, I don't think.

In the end, the whole situation is awful. I feel for the child the most, because he's ultimately the one who is going to be hurt the most.

[Thickasabrick]

6. Hope this ends well. So many years they've lost so really glad

the court battle is over.