British mother abducts her two autistic sons from their American father and evades police for three months
A British mother has been evading UK authorities for more than three months after abducting her two young sons from their American father, it has emerged.
Nishika Samaratunga, a 34-year-old British citizen originally from Sri Lanka, is suspected of hiding her five-year-old son, Blaine Baier, and three-year-old son, Nathaniel “Nate” Baier. Both boys were born in the United States and resided near Denver, Colorado, under the care of their father, 43-year-old Ben Baier.
The abduction occurred following a court-ordered visit. The children had traveled to the UK in March to spend time with their mother as part of the parents’ divorce agreement. However, Ms. Samaratunga failed to return the boys to Mr. Baier at a UK airport on March 29, as scheduled. Since then, she and the two children have vanished without a trace.
Mr. Baier has launched High Court proceedings in an urgent bid to secure his sons’ return. His legal team has raised serious concerns regarding the children’s welfare, noting that the boys do not appear to be enrolled in school or nursery, nor are they receiving any necessary medical care while in hiding.
The situation is particularly critical due to the children’s health needs. “Both our children have autism, and such abrupt changes to their routine are incredibly damaging to their development and health,” Mr. Baier stated in an emotional appeal. “The collapse of my marriage has been an incredibly trying time, but I never believed that Nishika would abduct Blaine and Nathaniel and then conceal their whereabouts in an effort to keep them from me, uprooting them from their home in Colorado.”
Mr. Baier is pleading for his former wife to do the right thing and return the boys to their normal life in Colorado. He has also called upon anyone with information regarding their current location to step forward and contact the authorities to ensure the safe return of his sons.
