Goldman Continues to Shine Light on International Abductions

Tinton Falls dad, cum author, was on Capitol Hill Tuesday to testify before Congress on the importance of passing pending legislation that would help children adbucted to foreign countries return home, according to a report in the Asbury Park Press.

Goldman, 44, who was forced to navigate the odyssey of international legal channels following his son's abduction by his former wife to Brazil in 2004, urged Congress to penalize foreign countries that refuse to return American children that have been kidnapped.

The legislation in question was introduced by Rep. Chris Smith, R-NJ, the chairman of a House human rights subcommittee and an intergral part of the team involved in returning Goldman's son, Sean, 11, to his father in December 2009.

The bill would allow American authorities to impose 18 different penalties on countries that violate international child abduction agreements, including cutting off cultural exchanges to withdrawing International Monetary Fund support.

Goldman, testifying at a hearing in Washington, DC and organized by Smith, said that the time had come for Congress to stop holding hearings--he estimated there have been about seven since 1998 on the subject--and pass this bill, according to the report.

"These countries are breaking the law with impuity," Goldman said. "If all we do today is express outrage ... our kids will not be retuned and we will be back next year."

, Goldman said that he hoped his recently published book,  , would help shine a light on the issue and help bring the over 3,000 abducted children around the world home.

"We know that penalities manage to get the attention of other governments and we know they work," said Smith on Tuesday. "The growing incidence of international child abduction must be recognized for the serious human rights violation that it is."