UT - Hazel 7, Levi 8 & Landon Seymour 10 & Jacob Brady 3, Endangered, mom forged docs, took kids to Europe, Elleshia Seymour, SLC, 29 Nov 2025

[ErinC]

Utah children taken by family member to Croatia coming home

The family of four Utah children who were found in a Croatian home after they were reported missing last month says the children are on their way home.

www.fox13now.com

Four Utah children who were taken out of the country last month by their mother and later found in a Croatian home are headed back to the U.S.
"WE ARE TAKING THE KIDS HOME," the family wrote in an update on GoFundMe.
The family shared that Croatian police had finished their investigation and police returned the children's passports.
More at link

I had hoped for this. I know the Croatians wanted the best for them, but I can't, ultimately, see the government budgeters wanting to pay for four more wards of the state if they had an out. I am relieved authorities let the fourth child go with the family as I was a little worried about him not having a (non-insane) parent in country. MOO

 

[Rikissa]

I had hoped for this. I know the Croatians wanted the best for them, but I can't, ultimately, see the government budgeters wanting to pay for four more wards of the state if they had an out. I am relieved authorities let the fourth child go with the family as I was a little worried about him not having a (non-insane) parent in country. MOO

According to post #22 the children's relatives came to Croatia on 17 January, so it has taken the Croatian authorities 14 days to established that the family members that arrived are who they claim to be, and that the fathers have shared custody of the children from a court in the US, and to have all the paperwork translated from English to Croatian. Two weeks is not a long time for all of this to be done. As for the fourth child, I do hope he is taken back to his father and family, and that there were paperwork showing that his half-siblings family had the legal right to take him back to the US.

How long time would it take in the US courts to handle a similar matter? I hope the situation today is better than it was in 2005, when a child from Chile was abducted by a parent to the US, the case hadn't been solved in 2009. It seemed as the courts in the US were just waiting for the child to be 16, and to be able to stay with the American parent who had abducted them. Not respecting the judgement of other countries' legal systems.

U.S. Hypocrisy Concerning International Child Abduction - International Divorce

This article appears in the International Bar Association's September 2010 newsletter

international-divorce.com

 

[Chimera]

Utah children taken by family member to Croatia coming home

The family of four Utah children who were found in a Croatian home after they were reported missing last month says the children are on their way home.

www.fox13now.com

Four Utah children who were taken out of the country last month by their mother and later found in a Croatian home are headed back to the U.S.
"WE ARE TAKING THE KIDS HOME," the family wrote in an update on GoFundMe.
The family shared that Croatian police had finished their investigation and police returned the children's passports.
More at link

Thanks so much for this update, @swanniee11 .

Great news, and am thankful they brought the half brother as well !

 

[tricia]

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Tricia

 

[ErinC]

According to post #22 the children's relatives came to Croatia on 17 January, so it has taken the Croatian authorities 14 days to established that the family members that arrived are who they claim to be, and that the fathers have shared custody of the children from a court in the US, and to have all the paperwork translated from English to Croatian. Two weeks is not a long time for all of this to be done. As for the fourth child, I do hope he is taken back to his father and family, and that there were paperwork showing that his half-siblings family had the legal right to take him back to the US.

How long time would it take in the US courts to handle a similar matter? I hope the situation today is better than it was in 2005, when a child from Chile was abducted by a parent to the US, the case hadn't been solved in 2009. It seemed as the courts in the US were just waiting for the child to be 16, and to be able to stay with the American parent who had abducted them. Not respecting the judgement of other countries' legal systems.

U.S. Hypocrisy Concerning International Child Abduction - International Divorce

This article appears in the International Bar Association's September 2010 newsletter

international-divorce.com

Honestly? It would probably take longer. Especially nowadays. Do you remember the Elian Gonzales debacle back in 2000? While that turned into a complete over-the-top circus, it isn't unusual for any court proceeding, let alone a custody dispute involving two nations, to drag on and on. I fully expected a minimum of three months for the current situation to be resolved, just based on what I'm familiar with, and I greatly commend the Croatians for acting expeditiously. MOO

 

[nhmemorymaker]

What are they doing with the mother.....
I guess the family says "Croatia is tight lipped" about this, so far.

The 13 year old son of the TikToc woman who took them in..... amazing help he provided.
And he is no longer with his mom...

*the interview with the father's sister is good, even though you can not really hear the East Idaho News person.

 

[Chimera]

What are they doing with the mother.....

At some point I'd imagine she'll be turned over to U.S. authorities.
Because of the stunt she pulled, she may not see those kids until they're 18 or so ?
Unsure about that, though.
Imo.

 

[Rikissa]

I fully expected a minimum of three months for the current situation to be resolved, just based on what I'm familiar with, and I greatly commend the Croatians for acting expeditiously. MOO

I would say Croatia have had to learn how to take care of, and aid, displaced children, and children without parents in the last 30+ years, first during their own war of independence, and later the war in neighbouring Bosnia, and now children from Ukraine, as well as children of asylum seekers. UNICEF, UNHCR, as well as local NGOs are involved on all levels, so I don't think there were any reason to expect anything else than to aid, and to do what was best for these four children, not dragging things out.