David Goldman Has Finally Gotten His Son Back From Brazil
2 June 2009, 5:45 PM. By Alex Alvarez
David Goldman has been awarded custody of his 8-year-old son, Sean, who was kidnapped by the boy’s mother and taken to live in her native country of Brazil. When Sean’s mother, Bruna, died in Brazil, the young boy was placed under the custody of his stepfather and David was barred from seeing his child for years. A federal court in Brazil has ruled that Goldman should - and will - receive full custody of his son. David has journeyed to Brazil and is expected to receive his son tomorrow.
In February of this year, U.S. Rep. Christopher Smith (R) of New Jersey stepped in and arranged for Goldman to be reunited with the little boy he had not in about five years. In March, Barack Obama spoke with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva about the case, and it was all kinds of awko taco.
Yesterday, Hillary Clinton discussed the case at a news conference in San Salvador, El Salvador, along with newly-inaugurated President Mauricio Funes and mentioned that there are currently 50 similar cases in Brazil.
A lawyer for the deceased mother’s family says he plans to appeal the court’s decision:
Many times the boy has expressed his desire to stay in Brazil. We are doing everything we can to see justice prevail.
We can’t help but see similarities in Goldman’s case and the case of Elian Gonzalez in Miami. Of course, in Elian’s case, his mother died en route trying to flee political discord in her home country.
What do you guys think, though? Did the Brazilian federal court make the right decision? Or should Sean continue living in Brazil with his stepfather, as his mother seemed to have wished?
(15) 
Post Your Comment
Did you know you can now share a link, image or video?
Click to submit your own notas.
I think the father does have a right to take his son, besides the only reason the boy wants to stay in brasil and is not close to his dad is because he was kidnapped in the first place
The father does have the right to full custody of his biological son. The reason why the case took so long to resolve is because Mr. Goldman’s in laws happen to be very wealthy and influential within the Brazilian Family Court System.
Of course Sean should be reunited with his father and returned to the U.S. David Goldman waved goodbye to his toddler boy believing he was going on a vacation with his loving wife, when in reality, she plotted to take him away forever. What Bruna did to David and her young son Sean was awful, and as selfish as a person can be. She robbed her boy of a father who adored him. If that wasn’t bad enough, the stepfather took over the game when Bruna died. Neither the mother, her family, or this stepfather ever thought about the well being of this little guy. What these people did is a crime, and leaving this child with people who break the law to serve their own purposes, especially at the expense of a child, would be a tragedy on top of a tragedy. I would hate to see this little boy grow up believing you get what you want by being selfish, ignoring the law and trampling on other people. He would be best served by knowing his father moved mountains to get him back, never stopped reaching for him, and growing in that awesome love.
The court made the right decision in ruling that Sean should be returned to his father and the United States. I believe this would be the case even if the mother was still alive.
This is obviously a political battle and not about the best interrest of Sean or justice for the father.
Custody would potentially be given because of the boy’s mother, not the stepfather. The child belongs with his biological dad if the man is a fit parent. Without any reason or evidence to suspect otherwise, why delay in returning the boy? It is too bad for the stepfather if he has become attached to the child, but if he wants to remain in touch with the kid then this should be run past the biological father. The boy is still young and would obviously adjust. It will create less confusion for the boy later in life, and if this is the biological father’s wish it is also his right. We don’t just let people keep other people’s children because they’re familiar with them. Our country should definitely be involved. -Caryn, MI
As a mom myself I feel for David. I just can’t understand how this whole custody case has been allowed to go on for this long. It is outrageous. There is no question that Sean should be returned to his biological father, and it should have been done years ago. It breaks my heart to think about that Sean is being put through all this. I hope that very soon this will all be over and David and Sean will be reunited again.
The reason this is dragging on so long is because the stepfather is from a powerful and wealthy family of lawyers and judges in Brazil. To him it is a matter of pride and prestige that he can go against international law and world opinion.
I do not understand why all of a sudden our government is just now starting to worry about our children that are taken out of the country and not returned. What about all our children that are in Canada that the the fathers fought long and hard for. Hilary now wants to get involved. Her Husband as president would not. Who decides what Child is important enough to fight for.
This is totally ooutrageous. David deserves to be with his son, PERIOD!
This poor father has been through enough. I pray he gets Sean back soon. This whole thing is extremely outrageous. Sean belongs with David. They’ve missed enough of each other’s lives.
This is outrageous,
Sean belongs with his father period.
Sean is an American citizen, and all his rights should be guaranteed by our govt.
Our president must act to return our american boy to his loviing Dad.
I’m so glad Mr. Goldman was awarded custody of his son. I am seeking grandparent’s visitation rights to my grandchildren I have been denied to see for 11 months now. My son died February 17, 2008 and his widow moved 30 miles away, but I have been denied visitation. I know what it is like to be alienated from the child/children you love so much.
YES! he definitly deserves full custody, i saw this story on larry king on my ipod last night and almost cried because that would be awful if it happened to anyone! Im sooo happy he got his son back, the kid just wants to stay in brazil cuz he grew up there while his memory came into play so he doesn”t want to leave what he calls half his childhood behind.
Great news….but will it happen? In the past the stepfather has simply ignorred the courts rulings or hidden the boy. The stepfather has a lot of connections inthe court system in Brazil and I’ve read that in that country money and position gives a lot of political power.
The stepfather had remarried not long after Bruna dies and they his wife had a child right away. Why is he determined to keep somone else’s child? Spite? Power trip? The Brazilian courts should be ashamed.
David Goldman did NOT get his son back. The stepfather appealed and it is STILL sitting on some judge’s desk in Brazil. It is now the end of August, how much more does this father have to go through to have his child back? This is sickening.