Chris Brann: Fighting to Bring His Abducted Son Nico Home from Brazil

NPC Newsmaker Program
MEDIA ADVISORY

TO: Daybooks/Calendar/Correspondents/Assignment Editors/Press Offices
FROM: Herb Perone, NPC Newsmakers Chairman, 301-512-7636, [email protected]

Chris Brann: Fighting to Bring His Abducted Son Nico Home From Brazil

Washington, DC – Chris Brann, the father of five-year-old Nico Brann, of Houston, Texas, will tell his harrowing tale of his ongoing struggle to bring his abducted son home from Brazil publicly for the first time.

Examining the case with Brann will be his international lawyer Jared Genser and Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), author of the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention Act, which seeks to assist the State Department-reported 763 left-behind American parents whose who children have been abducted to 66 countries around the world. In addition, David Goldman, whose son’s abduction to Brazil attracted global publicity will also appear.

On July 1, 2013, Chris's now ex-wife Marcelle traveled from Houston to Salvador, Brazil, for her brother’s wedding. Having joint custody of Nico, she had promised a Texas family court that she would return. Unbeknownst to Chris, she had been planning to abduct Nico and immediately filed for sole custody of her son in Brazil and in a few short weeks when he learned she would not return, his living nightmare began.

Both the Government of Brazil and the Government of the United States agree that Nico Brann was illegally taken from the United States. Ten independent experts have concluded that Chris is an excellent father, included the court-appointed psychologist in Brazil and Brazil Federal Judge Arali Maciel Duarte. Yet inexplicably, and even with Brazil Attorney General’s Office appearing on Chris’ side in court, Judge Arali Duarte refused to return Nico, citing to an outdated ruling in the Goldman case as the sole precedent for denying the return. She was apparently unaware that the Supreme Court of Brazil ordered Sean Goldman be sent home five years ago.

Chris now faces years of further appeals unless a political solution can be found between Brazil and the United States.

This NPC Newsmakers news conference is scheduled for Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at 10 a.m. in the club’s First Amendment Lounge, on the 13th Floor of the National Press Building, 529 14th St. NW, Washington DC 20045.

Like all Newsmaker events, this news conference is open to credentialed press and NPC club members, free of charge. No advance registration is required.

Contact:
Tony Gallo NPC Newsmakers Event Host
202-544-6973, [email protected]