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Goldman child abduction case

SOLVED2000Rio de Janeiro, Brazil3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

In June 2004, Sean Goldman, then four years old, traveled to Brazil with his mother, Bruna Bianchi Carneiro Ribeiro, for what was described as a two-week vacation. His mother subsequently refused to return him to the United States, initiating a prolonged international custody dispute between his American father, David Goldman, and his Brazilian mother's family. The case centered on the application of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. In 2005, a Brazilian court ruled that Sean had been wrongfully removed from the United States, but nonetheless ordered that he remain in Brazil.

Bruna Bianchi Carneiro Ribeiro obtained a divorce from David Goldman through the Brazilian courts and later married Brazilian lawyer João Paulo Lins e Silva in 2007. She died in 2008 while giving birth to their child. Following her death, her husband obtained a Brazilian custody order for Sean without informing the court of Bruna's death, and arranged for a new Brazilian birth certificate to be issued listing himself as Sean's father under the Brazilian legal concept of socio-affective paternity. On this basis, he refused to return Sean to David Goldman.

The dispute drew extensive media coverage, including a January 2009 Dateline NBC segment titled "Fighting for Sean," interviews with David Goldman on numerous television programs, and continued NBC coverage after Sean's eventual return. The case also drew political attention in the United States. Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey took an active role after seeing the Dateline broadcast, and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama both raised the matter, including in direct discussions with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Congress considered legislation, H.R. 2702, that would have suspended trade benefits for Brazil, and Goldman testified before a congressional committee in July 2009.

In December 2009, a Brazilian federal court ruled that Sean must be returned to his father, and a Brazilian Supreme Court decision led to Sean being handed over to David Goldman on December 24, 2009, when Sean was nine years old. Sean's Brazilian grandmother, Silvana Bianchi Carneiro Ribeiro, stated she intended to continue pursuing custody through Brazilian courts. In March 2011, New Jersey courts denied visitation rights to Sean's Brazilian grandparents and dismissed their complaint, with the presiding judge criticizing their conduct in the litigation.

The case prompted legislative reform in the United States. Representative Chris Smith introduced a bill in 2013 that became the "Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014," signed into law by President Obama, requiring the State Department to report annually to Congress on countries' compliance with the Hague Child Abduction Convention.

Key facts

Victims
Sean Goldman
Date
2000
Location
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2000

    Sean Goldman is born in the United States to David Goldman and Bruna Bianchi Carneiro Ribeiro.

  2. 2004-06

    Sean travels to Brazil with his mother for what was described as a two-week vacation; his mother refuses to return him to the United States.

  3. 2005

    A Brazilian court rules Sean was wrongfully taken from the U.S. but orders that he remain in Brazil.

  4. 2007

    Bruna Bianchi Carneiro Ribeiro marries Brazilian lawyer João Paulo Lins e Silva.

  5. 2008

    Bruna dies while giving birth to her child with João Paulo Lins e Silva; he later obtains a custody order for Sean without informing the court of her death.

  6. 2008-12-01

    David Goldman is interviewed on the Dr. Phil show about the case.

  7. 2009-01-30

    Dateline NBC broadcasts "Fighting for Sean," drawing significant public and political attention to the case.

  8. 2009-03-04

    U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton comments on the case on NBC's Today show; David Goldman is interviewed the same day on CNN's Larry King Live.

  9. 2009-03-23

    Brazilian President Lula comments on the case on CNN.

  10. 2009-06-19

    Congressman Chris Smith publishes an article in The Washington Times titled "Will Brazil Do The Right Thing."

  11. 2009-07-15

    David Goldman testifies before a Congress committee about international child abductions.

  12. 2009-07-16

    NBC's Today broadcasts a one-hour interview with David Goldman.

  13. 2009-12

    A Brazilian federal court rules that Sean must be returned to his father; a Brazilian Supreme Court judge delays the case, saying the boy should be able to express himself in court.

  14. 2009-12-24

    Based on a decision of Brazil's Supreme Court, Sean is handed over to his father, David Goldman.

  15. 2009-12-28

    Parts of the father-son reunion interview air on NBC's Today.

  16. 2010-01-08

    Dateline NBC airs a two-hour special, "Bringing Sean Home: The Untold Story."

  17. 2010-01-17

    Parts of the special air in Brazil on Rede Record's Domingo Espetacular.

  18. 2011-03

    New Jersey courts deny visitation rights to Sean's Brazilian grandparents and dismiss their complaint, criticizing their conduct in the litigation.

  19. 2012-04-27

    Dateline airs an interview with Sean Goldman conducted by Meredith Vieira.

  20. 2013

    Representative Chris Smith proposes legislation on international child abduction prevention.

  21. 2014

    The Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014 is signed into law by President Barack Obama.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • David Goldman

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Not law enforcement; father of Sean Goldman who pursued legal action and public advocacy to have his son returned to the United States.

  • Sean Goldman

    VICTIM

    Child abducted to Brazil by his mother in 2004 and kept there for over five years before being returned to his father in 2009.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

-22.9068, -43.1729

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
David Goldman spent more than five years fighting to have his son Sean returned to the United States after Sean was taken to Brazil by his mother in 2004 and kept there through a prolonged custody dispute.
Where did the abduction happen?
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Brazil

Sources

  1. Goldman child abduction casewikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Goldman custody battle: grandmother vows to fight for boynews · ABC News · 2026-07-07
  3. Remarks on the Goldman child custody casenews · state.gov · 2026-07-07