A father is appealing to his former spouse to take the appropriate action after she abducted their two sons and has been evading authorities in the United Kingdom for more than three months.
Nishika Samaratunga, a 34-year-old British citizen originally from Sri Lanka, is suspected of hiding the location of her two young boys, five-year-old Blaine Baier and three-year-old Nathaniel Baier, known as Nate.
The children, who were born in the United States, were under the care of their father, Ben Baier, residing near Denver, Colorado.
Blaine and Nathaniel had traveled to the UK to visit their mother in March as part of a court-mandated visitation following the divorce of their parents. However, Ms. Samaratunga failed to return them to Mr. Baier at a UK airport on March 29, and their whereabouts have remained unknown since.
Mr. Baier, aged 43, has initiated legal proceedings in the High Court to secure the return of his sons. His legal team has expressed concerns that the boys seem to be missing out on schooling, medical attention, and a stable routine.
In a statement, Mr. Baier expressed his disbelief and distress over the situation, emphasizing the impact on their children who both have autism. He urged his ex-wife to bring the boys back to him for their well-being and normalcy, and called on anyone with information to assist in reuniting the family.
The High Court has permitted the divulgence of case details to aid in locating the missing children.
The couple married in 2020, and after their relationship deteriorated in 2024, Ms. Samaratunga sought to relocate the children to London, which was denied by a Colorado court. Subsequent court orders appointed Mr. Baier as the primary custodial parent.
Despite directives for the children to remain in Colorado, Mr. Baier was instructed to take them to England for visits with their mother. Ms. Samaratunga breached the court order by failing to return the boys after the visit in March.
Efforts to trace Ms. Samaratunga have involved legal actions against various entities, including financial institutions and healthcare providers, but her whereabouts remain unknown.
Authorities in Colorado have authorized law enforcement to take custody of the children due to concerns for their safety, citing potential risks associated with Ms. Samaratunga’s actions.
Legal representatives for Mr. Baier have stressed the detrimental effects of the children’s disappearance and emphasized the urgency of locating and bringing them back home safely.
Individuals with any information about Ms. Samaratunga and the children’s location are encouraged to contact the legal representatives, Amy Rowe or Safina Mitha at Hunters Law, in confidence.