Mom Ordered to Allow Return of Child to Sweden

Recently, a federal judge told Raina Anderung that she'd have to release her young child's passport, and thus allow the child to return to Sweden with the child's father.

Anderung had claimed that she had new evidence to support her petition to allow the child to stay in the United States, despite the fact she'd only lived in Sweden until this dispute arose. She also claimed if she moved back to Sweden and re-entered the joint custody arrangement the parents had abided by until last year that she'd lose her job, and that she did not have the financial resources to permit the trip.

The federal judge found these arguments unconvincing.

International abduction cases are a growing crisis world-wide. Not every country is a signatory to the Hague Convention on this point, and results can be mixed, to say the least.

It seems in this case Ms. Anderung took the child for what was supposed to be a 90-day visit with relatives in the U.S., but then elected to remain with the child here rather than return to Sweden.

If the court's decision doesn't sit well with you, ask yourself, "Would I still feel this way if the mom and child were American, dad was Swedish, and all parties lived in America, but dad took the child to Sweden and then declined to return her to the U.S.?"