A father is pleading with his former wife to act responsibly after she abducted their two sons and has been evading authorities in the UK for more than three months.
Nishika Samaratunga, a 34-year-old UK citizen of Sri Lankan descent, is suspected of hiding her two children, five-year-old Blaine Baier and three-year-old Nathaniel Baier, also known as Nate.
The boys, who were born in the US, were under the care of their father, Ben Baier, residing near Denver, Colorado.
Blaine and Nathaniel were on a court-mandated visit to their mother in the UK in March after their parents’ divorce. However, Ms. Samaratunga failed to return them to Mr. Baier at a UK airport on March 29, and their whereabouts have remained unknown.
Mr. Baier, 43, has initiated legal proceedings in the High Court to secure the return of his sons. His legal representatives have expressed concerns about the children’s absence from school, lack of medical attention, and disruption to their routine.
Mr. Baier stated, “The breakdown of my marriage has been challenging, but I never imagined that Nishika would abduct our sons and keep them hidden from me, displacing them from their home in Colorado.”
Both children have autism, and sudden changes like this can severely impact their well-being and development.
The High Court has permitted the disclosure of case details to aid in locating the missing children.
The couple married in 2020, with Ms. Samaratunga moving to the US. However, their relationship deteriorated in 2024. Ms. Samaratunga sought permission from a Colorado court to relocate the children to London in August last year, but her request was denied. She returned to the UK the following month.
Despite further relocation attempts, a Colorado court ruled in October that Mr. Baier should have primary custody of the children.
Although the court ordered the children to remain in Colorado, Mr. Baier was instructed to take them to England for visits with Ms. Samaratunga. During one such visit in March, Ms. Samaratunga failed to return the children to Mr. Baier, violating the court order.
Efforts to trace Ms. Samaratunga have involved legal actions against several entities, including financial institutions and healthcare providers, but her whereabouts remain unknown.
In April, a Colorado judge authorized law enforcement to take custody of the children due to concerns for their safety, citing Ms. Samaratunga’s suspicious behavior and the risk to the children’s well-being.
Amy Rowe from Hunters Law LLP, representing Mr. Baier, emphasized the urgency of finding the children and ensuring their safe return.
Individuals with information about Ms. Samaratunga and the children’s location are encouraged to contact Amy Rowe or Safina Mitha at Hunters Law confidentially.
