David Goldman might just be the happiest father in the world today, after winning custody of his 8 year-old son from the child’s step dad. Goldman, who is the biological father of Sean Goldman, lost his son in 2004 after his ex-wife took him to live with her and her family in Brazil. David’s ex-wife then remarried but died last year leaving young Sean to live with his step-dad.
Goldman has been fighting to get his son back since 2004 and even got help from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. After hearing about his case from, (R) U.S. Rep. Christopher Smith, she decided to contact the Brazilian government and urge them to intervene in the matter.
With only sporadic visits, David was afraid his son might not remember him. After a Dateline special followed David on his journey to Brazil, he was pleasantly surprised to hear his son call him dad.
Unfortunately, these types of kidnappings and custody battles are far too common around the world and difficult to regulate due to foreign relations. Hopefully the Goldman case can set the precedent for similar custody battles.
