David R Shubert

My name is David R Shubert and I am a left behind and alienated parent of a 12 year old daughter and 17 year old step-son who were abducted by their mother in June 2007 from their home in Aurora, Colorado and taken to Australia. It would take me four months before I was able to learn that I did have rights in seeking their return. In November 2007, an application with the Hague Convention courts was lodged in the effort to bring them home again. It would take 13 months to finalize the return...See more

My name is David R Shubert and I am a left behind and alienated parent of a 12 year old daughter and 17 year old step-son who were abducted by their mother in June 2007 from their home in Aurora, Colorado and taken to Australia. It would take me four months before I was able to learn that I did have rights in seeking their return. In November 2007, an application with the Hague Convention courts was lodged in the effort to bring them home again. It would take 13 months to finalize the return order and another 4 months after the mother filed an appeal to block this from happening. In June 2009, the children were finally brought back and a hearing in the Family Courts took place to determine parental responsibilities. During this time, the court was able to hear about the international abduction, The Hague Convention return ruling and a great deal more. In the end, the judge brushed aside the evidence against the mother and ruled that since, the children had been gone for the previous two years, it was in their best interest to remain with the mother and allowed them to return to Australia. Upon their return to Australia, all orders issued by the court including, contact and visitation were disobeyed. Over the next two years, there would be a total of four contempt hearings in which the mother would not appear in person nor, via telephone. Finally, in October 2010, Modification was made and sole parental responsibilities were reversed and the children ordered to be returned. That was over eight years ago and I am still fighting to be in their lives. There has been no contact, no photos, no father's day or Christmas cards from them. Because, of the reversal in parental responsibilities, modification of child support was also made. It was my hope that since, the USA had jurisdiction in all matters pertaining to the children, she would have to bring them back to fight this. It was after this, that I became disillusioned with "all" family court law and knew that I must take to the social media to gather my community support. I now write my reflections in the effort to promote awareness and hope this helps to create change! See less