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David Goldman Reunited With Son After Five Years


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After a five year long, international custody battle, David Goldman was finally allowed to bring his son home to New Jersey on Thursday. David was reunited with his son, Sean, at the Brazilian consulate on Christmas Eve morning, after the Brazilian Supreme Court ruled that the boy must be returned to the United States. Although the boy was seen crying on his way into the consulate, he had a happy reunion with his father. Goldman's lawyer said that "they looked just like best buddies".

Sean had spent five years living in Brazil with his mother, stepfather and maternal grandmother. His mother brought him to Brazil in 2004 for what was supposed to be a two week vacation. Once in her native country, however, Sean's mom divorced David and married a prominent lawyer in Brazil, Joao Paulo Lins e Silva. Although David had been fighting for custody ever since the two didn't return from their vacation, he stepped up his efforts a year ago, when Sean's mother died and temporary custody was given to Lins e Silva. After many years of fighting and numerous appeals from U.S. government officials, custody was finally given to David Goldman this week.

Sean's maternal family was disappointed by the decision, saying "this is a very difficult moment". However, for David and everyone who supported him along the way, it was the moment they'd all been waiting for, and the best Christmas present they could have imagined.