Following a custody jurisdiction battle waged by the child’s father, the Pretoria High Court in South Africa has reportedly ordered the return of a three year old boy to the US.

The boy was born in the US and lived in California until he was a year old, when his mother allegedly removed him under the pretext of a vacation with her family – and then repeatedly stalled bringing the boy home, before finally refusing.

The boy’s father said he had to sell his home and give up his job to pursue his legal case for his son.

Fortunately for the father, South Africa is a party to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Otherwise, the case might have turned out very differently.

It is unclear whether the mother plans to return to the US and pursue custody here.

Read more in this IOL article: ‘My little boy is going back home’.