A father is appealing to his former spouse to take the appropriate action after she unlawfully took their two sons and has been evading authorities in the United Kingdom for more than three months.
Nishika Samaratunga, a 34-year-old British national originally from Sri Lanka, is suspected of hiding the locations of her two young sons, Blaine Baier, aged five, and Nathaniel Baier, known as Nate, aged three.
The children, born in the United States, were under the care of their father, Ben Baier, residing near Denver, Colorado.
Blaine and Nathaniel visited their mother in the UK in March for court-ordered visitation following the parents’ divorce. However, Ms. Samaratunga failed to return the boys to Mr. Baier at a UK airport on March 29, and their whereabouts have remained unknown since.
Mr. Baier, 43, has initiated legal proceedings in the High Court to facilitate the return of his sons. Concerns have been raised by his legal team regarding the children’s well-being, as they appear to be missing school, nursery, and medical attention.
Expressing his distress, Mr. Baier stated, “The breakdown of my marriage has been incredibly challenging, but I never imagined Nishika would abduct Blaine and Nathaniel to keep them away from me, disrupting their lives in Colorado. Both our children have autism, and abrupt changes like this can severely impact their development and health.”
Urging his ex-wife to act responsibly and return the children, Mr. Baier appealed to anyone with information on their whereabouts to assist in reuniting them with him. He emphasized the importance of their safe return to a normal life.
To aid in locating the children, the High Court has permitted the release of case details.
Mr. Baier and Ms. Samaratunga tied the knot in 2020, and after their relationship soured in 2024, Ms. Samaratunga sought court approval to relocate the children from the US to London. Despite her efforts, a Colorado court ruled in favor of Mr. Baier becoming the primary custodial parent.
While the court required the children to stay in Colorado, Mr. Baier was instructed to take them to England for visits with their mother. However, during a return trip in March, Ms. Samaratunga breached the court order by failing to return the children to Mr. Baier.
Efforts to trace Ms. Samaratunga have involved court orders against various entities, but her whereabouts remain unknown. Concern for the children’s safety led a judge in Colorado to authorize law enforcement intervention due to the perceived risk they faced.
Amy Rowe, representing Mr. Baier, stressed the detrimental impact of the abduction on the children and urged for their safe return, emphasizing their vulnerability and well-being.
Individuals with information regarding Ms. Samaratunga and the children’s location are encouraged to contact Amy Rowe or Safina Mitha at Hunters Law in confidence.