Nick Lampson: “today my story is about Mitchell Goldstein and his daughter, Kelly, age 8. Kelly was abducted from Atlanta, Georgia, to…”

“today my story is about Mitchell Goldstein and his daughter, Kelly, age 8. Kelly was abducted from Atlanta, Georgia, to Switzerland when she was 4 years old by her mother, Sandra Gyr Pfisterer, during a court-ordered visitation in 1996. Since this time, Mr. Goldstein has been trying to have Kelly returned from Switzerland via the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Despite numerous court orders from the Swiss court, including from the Supreme Court, officials in Switzerland have refused to enforce the court orders and Kelly remains abroad without any contact from her father. Switzerland is our ally. Mr. Goldstein has full custody of Kelly. He has numerous court orders from Switzerland and the United States ordering Kelly's return home. Switzerland and the U.S. are parties to the Hague Convention, yet Kelly remains separated from her father. Mr. Speaker, children like Kelly deserve to have a relationship with both their parents, and parents deserve a relationship with their children. The House should make sure that the most sacred of bonds, that between a parent and child, is preserved. We must pressure signatory countries to comply with the Hague Convention, especially in cases such as these, where their own courts have ordered a return.”