SAO PAULO: The Brazilian family of a 9-year-old boy returned by court order to his US father said Tuesday it will fight to regain custody.
Lawyers for the relatives of Sean Goldman said they will push forward with a request from his Brazilian grandmother to allow the boy to make his own wishes known in court.
The request was initially denied, but the Supreme Court has not issued a final ruling on that matter. The court does not convene until February.
Last week, a Supreme Court judge ordered Sean returned to his father, David Goldman, of Tinton Falls, New Jersey. The two have since returned to the United States. Just before delivering Sean to his dad last week, the Brazilian relatives said they would end a legal battle to keep the boy in Brazil. On Tuesday, however, their attorneys said the family was only obeying the judge’s order, not stopping its legal fight.
“Sean’s early delivery does not end the legal process,” the lawyers said in a statement. “The legal process in Brazil is not over.” The lawyers said that if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the grandmother, Silvana Bianchi, the decision will be relayed to American authorities so the boy can be heard.
Goldman’s lawyer in Brazil, Ricardo Zamariola Jr., did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
