February 27, 2009
Gross Miscarriage of Justice
Just before going to bed last night I turned on Fox News. What I saw made me lose sleep. It was the story of Sean Goldman, a now eight-year-old American boy who has been withheld from his father for four years by the Brazilian government.
I was unable to find the Fox video this morning, so watch this from the Today Show:
If you don't have time to watch the video, or for some reason cannot see it, let me briefly bring you up to speed.
A young American man met a young Brazilian woman, and they got married and had a son--Sean. Sean was born in the US to an American father, and is a full US citizen, exactly like my own Michael.
The seemingly happy family lived in the US for four years. One day over four years the father took his wife and son to the airport so they can go to Brazil and spend some time with her family. It was the last he saw her, and the last he saw of his son until this week.
A short while after arriving in Brazil, the mother called the father and said that their marriage was over. She got a divorce in Brazil, and then married the divorce lawyer--one Joao Paulo Lins e Silva--who apparently comes from a very influential family in Rio with many ties to the legal system.
According to international treaties signed by Brazil and the US, the boy should have been returned to the father within weeks. It appears, however, that Lins e Silva was able to "work the system" so that this did not happen.
Some time later, the mother died while giving birth to the lawyer's child. When the rightful father (who had been desperately trying to get his son back) found out about this, he became hopeful that he would be able to soon have custody of the son, as the biological father.
He was wrong. The Brazilian court, while finally agreeing that the action was wrong, made the arbitrary judgment that young Sean would be better off in Brazil.
So the father still does not have his son back. He recently got to see him for the first time. There are no details yet as to what happened at that meeting.
First off, let me say that I love Brazil. One of the things that makes me so upset about this whole thing is the huge, self-inflicted black eye that my adopted country gets when things like this happen. It is this kind of thing that gives Brazil the "banana republic" reputation it has on the international scene.
You may ask why there is no outrage over this on the part of Brazilians. The simple answer is that Brazilians do not know about it. Somehow the evil "stepfather" was able to put a gag order that applied to the press, and very few outlets have reported it. The Brazilians I have talked to about this are visibly outraged when the find out what has been going on.
Only now is the mainstream Brazilian press beginning to pick up the story, as it threatens to become an issue that will cast a cloud over the first meetings between the Brazilian officials and the new Obama administration. It has already come up, as Hillary Clinton made it the first item of business in her meeting with Brazilian ambassador to the US Celso Amorim.
I never thought I would write the following two words in this particular order, but here goes: Go Hillary!
My obvious reaction to this has been one of outrage. Once again, it would appear that the wicked are prospering. I would like to ask that the readers of this blog share in my outrage at this situation, and take the following actions:
Pray.
The God we serve is sovereign in this matter. This has not taken Him by surprise, and the outcome is in His hands. I do not know the spiritual condition of the family (although I have a pretty good idea when it comes to the "stepfather"). I do know that God is not pleased when justice is denied (Psalm 89:14, Proverbs 21:3, among many other references). Pray that God will act in order that justice will be done. Pray also that God would show Himself real in the person of Jesus Christ to all those involved.
The best solution, of course, would be for Mr. Lins e Silva to be transformed by the Holy Spirit, repent of his evil ways, turn the boy over to his father, and pay reparations for the four years of emotional damage he has caused. In the event that this does not happen, we should pray that God would work justice in this case as only He can.
Get Involved.
Visit the Bring Sean Home website. There you can leave an encouraging word, see the latest news, and spread the word via Facebook. If you have a blog, do a writeup about it.
The more people are outraged by this, on both sides of the equator, the greater the chances that the two governments will take the necessary action.
As with all injustices, the family of God should be the first ones to stand up and be counted.
Posted by Andrew on February 27, 2009 11:16 AM.
Comments
Posted by: Jason at February 27, 2009 1:36 PM
Jason, you and I know how frustrating it can be to do normal things down here--things like get a drivers license or get a document notarized. I can only imagine the immense frustration felt by David Goldman as he tries to get his son back, especially with the knowledge that powerful people are stacking the deck against him.
Of course, it is this same cadre of powerful people that stack the deck against normal Brazilians. I can't help but think that when everyday Brazilians find out about how this powerful lawyer and his political cronies are keeping a father away from his young son, there will be general outrage. I mean, seriously, this sounds like one of the subplots for "A Favorita"!
I am also concerned by some of the comments I saw on blogs in the US--to the tune of "watch out when you marry a Brazilian". I have been married to the same wonderful Brazilian woman for almost nine years. She is an excellent mother to our two sons, and would never dream of pulling something like Dona Bruna did.
This is not about her being a Brazilian. It is about her being a sinner.
Posted by: Andrew 
at February 27, 2009 5:50 PM
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I've been following this case off an on for some months now. It infuriates me to no end how much the rich of Brasil can get away with when the grease the right wheels.
What the Step-Father is trying to do is have a new birth certificate issued in Brasil (even though as you stated Sean was born in the US)but with the Step-Fathers name not the his biological dad.
Up until now, the only coverage this case has gotten is on the blogs. And many of them are filled with comments that I can only assume are from friends of the Lawyer/Step-Dad. They say things like "obviously he was a bad father/husband if she left him."
I am glad that the Real Father is starting to get help from the US government. Let's pray for a speedy reconciliation and that Sean will not be scarred from this ordeal.