Father, son reunited today in Brazil after 5-year battle

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A New Jersey man and his 9-year-old son were reunited Thursday in Brazil after a five-year international custody battle, and immediately headed home to spend the holidays in the U.S.

“It is now time for our new beginning, the rebirth of our family at such a special time of the year,” Goldman wrote in a letter that was read to reporters by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith after the father and son’s plane took off.

Smith said Goldman and his son left on a private jet chartered by the U.S. news channel NBC, which took off shortly before noon.

“Today the abduction has ended,” Smith said.

Sean’s arrival at the U.S. Consulate earlier Thursday was tumultuous, with his Brazilian relatives passing on U.S. officials’ offer to use a secured entrance to a garage. Instead they parked a block away and walked the boy, wearing a Brazilian Olympics T-shirt, through scores of reporters, cameramen and security guards. Violent shoving broke out in front of the consulate’s doors as the boy was spirited inside.

“I was disappointed to see him paraded through the streets,” Smith said.

Once inside the consulate, however, Smith said the boy calmed down, ate a hamburger and talked with his father about basketball and how much snow there might be in New Jersey.

“Once he was with his dad they were smiling, with their arms around one another,” Smith said. “They looked just like best buddies.”

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