The fight to bring home American children unlawfully held in foreign countries will be the heart of the testimony from “left-behind” parents who are victims of international child abduction at a congressional hearing Thursday. The U.S. State Department, under criticism for being slow to fully utilize the new “Sean and David Goldman Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act” (The Goldman Act, (Public Law 113-150), will also testify.

 

    Smith, chairman of the Global Human Rights Subcommittee and author of the Goldman Act said the law enacted in 2014 requires the Secretary of State to take action against countries refusing to cooperate in resolving the nearly 1,000 cases of American children victimized by international parental child abduction each year. It requires the Secretary first to report to Congress on which countries fail to cooperate on the resolution of U.S. abduction cases, and then to take action based on that report. The Secretary’s first report to Congress was released several months ago.

 

    Smith traveled repeatedly to Brazil in 2009 in order to bring Sean Goldman, then 9, back to the U.S. after a five-year abduction to Brazil. Most children never come back after an abduction, and many devastated parents never see or hear from them again.

           WHAT:          Congressional hearing entitled “The Goldman Act to Return Abducted American Children: Ensuring Administration Action.”

           WHO:             Smith, members of the Subcommittee on global human rights, and witnesses: 

> Michele Thoren Bond, Assistant Secretary Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. State Dept.
> David Goldman, Co-Founder and Director of the Bring Sean Home Foundation (former left behind father of child abducted to brazil, returned after five years)
> Captain Paul Toland, (USN), Co-Founder and National Director Bring Abducted Children Home (left behind Dad whose daughter Erika is being held in Japan) 

         WHEN:          Thursday, Nov. 19 at 11 a.m. 

         WHERE:        Room 2172 in the Rayburn House Office Building (first floor).