Russian news video with English subtitles

Now with English subtitles, here is the video by Komsomolskaya Pravda, an online Russian daily newspaper, after attempting to investigate the story of Marianne Grin (Марианны Гринь).

Komsomolskaya Pravda

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A previous post discussed the content of the video, which contains interviews with Grin followed by the journalist’s efforts to verify what she says, noting frequent inconsistencies in her story.  When the journalist attempts to ask her about evidence that shows she is lying, Grin first refuses to answer. When the journalist asks again, she becomes aggressive and abruptly ends the interview after accusing him of “being paid by an American citizen”.  (NB: Grin is also a US citizen.)

The original, without subtitles, is available here:

 

Happy Birthday Eli!

The invitation to “Extreme Eli,” his 2010 birthday party in Florence

Today, February 7, Elliot turned 13.

The family will try, again, to deliver presents to Eli on this February 7, hoping the the mother will not, once again, prevent this from occurring.

None of the family of the children has been able to tell them Happy Birthday or give them birthday presents since September 2011.  The mother has refused the family any contact with them.

Birthday parties for the kids in Florence were often held in pizzerias with dozens of classmates and friends from the children’s sports, music, and Hebrew lessons.

Beginning with Sam’s birthdays when he was just three, the children’s birthdays became known among their friends for their quirky and funny party invitations.  Above is the invitation to “Exreme Eli,” when he turned 10.  (And yes, that is a picture of Eli scuba diving, during his summer vacation.)  The parties were always  raucous, noisy affairs were everyone had a great time.

Russian TV: Американец просит опровергнуть сообщение

Post in Russian and English

Американец просит опровергнуть сообщение о жестоком обращении со своими детьми

“26 декабря 2012 года в нашем эфире рассказывалось о пикете у консульства США, в котором участвовала Марианна Гринь. Со слов Марианны, ее дети неоднократно подвергались жестокому обращению со стороны родного отца, кстати, гражданина США.

“В редакцию поступило обращение адвоката отца ребенка с просьбой опровергнуть распространенные сведения, так как они не соответствуют действительности. В соответствии со статьей 43 закона «О средствах массовой информации» редакция отмечает, что не располагает доказательствами того, что распространенные ранее сведения соответствуют действительности.”

Six year old son at picket

Published retraction of Russian TV

“On December 26, 2012, our TV described the picket at the U.S. Consulate, at which appeared a certain Marianne Grin. From the words of Marianne, her children were mistreated by their father, who happens to be a U.S. citizen.

“Our editor received a complaint from a lawyer representing the father of the children, who requested our correction to the reported information, as it is not true.  In accordance with Article 43 of the law on Mass Media, we note that there is no evidence that the previously transmitted information is true.”

Американских детей поделят суды – Court to decide on American children

As reported in Fontanka.ru, January 21, 2013:

Городсуду Санкт-Петербурга во вторник, 22 января, предстоит окончательно решить конфликт между американцем Майклом Макилротом и бывшей гражданкой СССР Марианной Гринь. Больше трёх лет,как уже писала «Фонтанка», эти супруги делят детей. В Италии, где семья жила в последние годы, решение вынесено в пользу отца, и наша страна, согласно международной конвенции, должна его исполнить. Именно это и предстоит решить Горсуду: будет Россия соблюдать договорённости или нет.

Американских детей поделят суды – Court to decide on American children

City Court, St. Petersburg:  on Tuesday, 22 January, there will finally be a decision in the conflict between the American Michael Mcilwrath and the former citizen of the USSR Marianne Grin. For more than three years, as already reported in “Fontanka”, their children have been the subject of legal action. In Italy, where the family lived in recent years, the court decision was made in favor of the father, and our country, according to an international convention, must recognize that decision. That is what the City Court must decide: whether Russia will comply or not.

Американских детей поделят суды – Court to decide on American children

Corte d’Appello, San Pietroburgo:  Martedì, il 22 gennaio, potrà finalmente essere risolto il conflitto tra l’americano Michael Mcilwrath e la cittadina dell’ex Unione Sovietica Marianne Grin. Per oltre tre anni, come già riportato in “Fontanka”, questi bambini sono i soggetti di due azioni. In Italia, dove la famiglia ha vissuto negli ultimi anni, la decisione è stata presa a favore del padre, e il nostro paese, in base ad una convenzione internazionale, deve riconoscerla. Questo è ciò che la Corte di Appello deve decidere: se la Russia aderisce o meno.

Marianne Grin – Rich in Dollars but Poor in Rubles (Марианны Гринь – Многие долларов, несколько рублей)

США паспорте – Марианна Гринь
US passport – Marianne Grin

On December 26, 2012, (Марианны Гринь) participated in a protest at the US Consulate in St Petersburg, Russia, in support of a proposed law that will prohibit Americans from adopting orphans in Russia. News reports showed Grin standing over her 10-year old daughter, tearing up her expired US passport.

It is hardly the first time Grin has dragged her children into her conflicts, and inciting a 10-year old girl to destroy an expired passport for the cameras is just another chapter.

By using a small child as a front, Grin is hiding her own US citizenship and her wealth in the USA.  It is documented beyond doubt that Grin is as rich in dollars, as she is careful to appear poor in rubles when she goes seeking help from various Russian officials and organizations.

Wealthy American Lawyer

Grin is a wealthy US citizen and a US-trained lawyer with multiple bank accounts and property holdings in the USA.  She has often commented in articles in Russian tabloid media about her efforts to return to the children to the USA, and her unsuccessful visits to the US Consulate to obtain new US passports without her husband’s consent.

Until now, she has not hidden her desire to leave Russia, including in her interview on the Iene television news program.

Raised as an American

When she was a child, Grin’s mother took her and her brother to the USA, where her family continues to live.  Her mother, who previously had worked as journalist in Moscow, arrived in the USA with nothing in 1980.  Fortunately for Grin, private and public welfare institutions gave her access to some of the USA’s best universities.

Professionally, Grin received huge salaries in New York, Paris, and then Italy, working as a lawyer in international banking and contracts for US corporations.

What did she do with all of her wealth?

Keeping the Money Out of Russia

In 1999, Grin and her former husband moved from the USA to Italy, where three of their four children were born (the oldest was born in New York).

Grin continued to earn good money in Italy, as her monthly pay slip and Italian and US tax returns showed.  Grin, the new anti-American, paid her taxes in Italy and the US.

Her income just from her one employer in Italy was close to $170,000 per year.

She declared this in her Italian tax statement.

With her wealth growing, Grin carefully avoided  ever letting her money touch Russian soil.  She did this by keeping multiple US bank accounts for this purpose, as in these examples, where she transferred over $8,000 in one month and then another $16,000 the next month from banks in Italy and Germany:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While she avoided paying any taxes in Russia, Grin treated the USA (home to her money and properties) better. She was so loyal in paying taxes that the American government even

refunded what she had overpaid, as shown in the US Treasury check to Grin in 2010.

Grin’s Foreign Assets

In her divorce proceedings, Grin declared to be the owner of three houses in California and an apartment in Italy. She did not deny taking all of her and her husband’s years of savings (this was documented by banking documents) but she did deny owning the apartment she currently occupies in St. Petersburg. (Apparently, what she owns in Russia is denied in other places: what she owns in other places is denied in Russia.)

Grin’s multiple bank accounts in the USA keep her dollars out of site of Russian authorities. Although she is a rich corporate lawyer, a graduate of Harvard Law School, she is just a poor Russian mother to anyone naive enough not to inquire.

Apparently, Grin assumes Russians will only look at her young daughter destroying an expired passport, and not notice Grin’s hypocrisy in wanting to deny Russian orphans the benefits that she received growing up in America, and that she continues to receive through her financial holdings there.

In just one of her US private banking arrangements, Grin earns close to $5,000 per year just in interest. And this is just one of her many bank accounts in the USA.  (Grin has also maintained bank accounts in other countries outside of Russia.)

For Grin, the benefit of having USA and Russian citizenship is clear:  she can appear poor in rubles to Russians she believes are too ignorant to suspect that an international corporate finance lawyer with US citizenship would also be rich in dollars.

Musical beat with hidden message for kids

There is a hidden message in this audio beat that the kids, or at least one of them, will understand.  Audio file

Sara’s Stories: The Pink Princess

Once upon a time there lived a princess in a land where everything was the color…

“Pink!” shouted the little girl. Pink was her favorite color.

“That’s right,” said the papa, continuing the story. “There were pink houses with pink rooms with pink people reading pink books. And little girls in pink pajamas tucked under pink sheets in pink beds.”

The little girl giggled. “Like me!” she said.

“Yes. And do you know what color the trees were?” the papa asked.

“Green!” answered the little girl, not falling for her father’s trick. “Plants are green because they need to get energy from the sun,” she explained.

The papa nodded proudly, “of course, nearly everything else in this land was pink. Except for one other thing….”

But maybe it would be better to let this story tell itself.

The Pink Princess

The Pink Princess woke up smiling in her pink bed. She had been sick for some days, but now she felt better.

The morning sun was shining into her bedroom, lighting the pink wall, the pink carpet on the floor and her pink sheets.

Everything was pink, as anyone could plainly see. Or nearly everything, except for the trees, which were green, and her horse, which was the color fuchsia.

The Pink Princess still had her head on her pink pillow when her fuchsia horse poked his head through the pink window. He made a funny snort to get her attention.

The Pink Princess laughed.

“You are such a funny horse!” she said. “And you are so good! Every day when I was sick you came to see me. You always worry about me.”

The horse snorted again.

“I think we will go for a very long ride today!”

The Pink Princess had a fuchsia-colored horse

The horse was happy to go for a ride. And he was even happier that the Pink Princess was feeling better. He had worried very much all the days that she was sick.

The pink nurse prepared a wonderful breakfast of delicious pink waffles with pink strawberries washed down with fresh pink milk. And then she gave the Pink Princess a pink bag with pink sandwiches for her lunch, for her long ride on her fuchsia horse.

The Pink Princess rode her horse proudly out the pink palace gates. Pink people riding pink bicycles and driving pink cars waved to them. A pink truck honked its horn. They passed a pink toy car on a pink ledge next to a pink flower pot.

They passed a pink toy car on a pink toy road in front of a pink flowerpot

Everyone stared at her fuchsia horse, because it was so different. The Pink Princess didn’t mind. She was very fond of her horse.

They rode past the pink shops, and past the pink post office, and the pretty pink school. Soon there were just a few pink houses, and only an occasional pink scooter or pink car.

And then they were in the countryside. They kept riding. It started to rain, so they stopped under a tree and had lunch. (The pink nurse had included some pink apples for the fuchsia horse.)

When they started to ride again, the Pink Princess saw that there was no longer anything that was pink. Just the green countryside. She liked it so much that she kept riding, and lost all track of the time.

It started to get late. And then it got later and later in the afternoon and still the Pink Princess and her fuchsia horse did not stop.

They had pink sandwiches under a tree. (The horse ate pink apples.)

With the sun going down, the Pink Princess started to worry that she was too far from home.

That was when she saw a man on a fuchsia bicycle, and he was fuchsia too!

Then she saw a fuchsia car, and a fuchsia house, and more fuchsia people.

She even saw a fuchsia dog chasing a fuchsia cat.

Soon, everything was fuchsia.

“Except the trees!” interrupted the little girl.

“They were green, as trees always are,” said the papa.

On a hill above the town, the Pink Princess could see a beautiful fuchsia castle. “There must be a princess there,” she thought.

She rode her fuchsia horse to the fuchsia-colored gates. She introduced herself to the castle guards. They were dressed in handsome fuchsia uniforms.

“May I be presented to your princess?” she asked in a gentle voice.

A fuchsia castle on the hill

“Immediately!” said the guards, recognizing her as a princess herself, and also noticing her fuchsia horse. They opened the gates and she rode into the castle grounds.

The Pink Princess got down from her horse and left him to drink some cool water. He was very thirsty.

The Fuchsia Princess appeared only a moment later. She gave her new friend a hug. She invited her inside to have dinner together, and to stay for the night.

The Pink Princess marveled at how beautiful everything was, even though it was not all pink.

They ate a delicious dinner of fuchsia spaghetti followed by fuchsia cake. While they were eating their cake, the Fuchsia Princess told the Pink Princess she thought her horse was beautiful.

“He is a very good horse, too,” said the Pink Princess.

“I have a beautiful horse that is also very good,” said the Fuchsia Princess. “Do you want to see him?”

“Oh yes!” answered the Pink Princess.

“And you’ll never guess what color he is,” said the Fuchsia Princess, as they walked together to the royal fuchsia stables.

“Fuchsia like mine?” asked the Pink Princess.

“See for yourself!” said the Fuchsia Princess, opening the stable door.

The Pink Princess could not hide her surprise. Inside was the most beautiful pink horse she had ever seen, in her favorite shade of pink, too! It’s saddle, however, was fuchsia.

“I never had a pink horse like yours,” she said.

The Fuchsia Princess said that was an incredible coincidence! “And I never had a fuchsia horse, to match everything else,” she said.

The pink horse (with fuchsia saddle)

“Why don’t we exchange our horses?” The princesses asked each other at the same time.

“That way our horses will match everything else we have,” said the Fuchsia Princess.

“That would be splendid,” said the Pink Princess. As soon as she said this, though, she wondered if it really was splendid.

By now it was very late indeed. The princesses brushed their teeth (the castle had fuchsia toothbrushes for guests) and went to bed under soft fuchsia covers and fuchsia sheets.

The Pink Princess could not sleep, though. All she could think about was her horse. She remembered how good he was, how he cared for her, never letting her fall. Often he came to school and waited for her outside.

She especially remembered how worried he looked when she was sick. He really loved her, she realized.

When morning came, she could not wait to tell the Fuchsia Princess of her decision.

“Your horse is very beautiful and his color matches everything in my palace….” the Pink Princess said. “But I love my horse too much, and for me there’s no horse better nor more beautiful. I’m afraid I cannot exchange horses. I am sorry to disappoint you.”

The Fuchsia Princess smiled a great big smile and said, “you know, I was going to say the very same thing!”

“I think we will be very good friends!” They both said at the same time.

The princesses then said their goodbyes, after making plans for the Fuchsia Princess to visit the Pink Palace.

The Pink Princess then rode back to the Pink Palace, very happily, on her fuchsia horse.

THE END

“Why didn’t she take a lunch with her?” asked the little girl. “It’s a long way back to the Pink Palace.”

“She did, of course,” answered the papa. “The fuchsia nurse prepared delicious fuchsia sandwiches for the princess and fuchsia apples for the horse. But it is late now and time for you to be asleep.”

“I know,” giggled the little girl. She gave her papa a kiss and closed her sleepy eyes. “I just like this story so much I didn’t want it to end.”

THE END (FOR REAL THIS TIME)

Sara and her papa

Copyright 2012 by Michael Mcilwrath

Sara and the Dragon: A Game of Chess

When Sara was little, she and her dad used to make up stories at bedtime.  This is one of their many stories about a little girl and her friend who is a dragon.

When Sara and her dad originally started making up these stories, they were called the “Lilly and the Dragon” stories, as Sara had a friend named Lilly who lived nearby and used to come play with her.

But there appears to be a very different book with a similar name, so the heroine has been renamed Sara.  Not the Sara who was creating the stories with her dad, of course.

No, this was just a Sara who, by coincidence, happened to be about the same age as our Sara, and who also happened to live in a place near many olive trees, and who also liked to ask all sorts of questions, and, just as coincidentally, also liked to play chess instead of going to bed when she was supposed to.

A Game of Chess

Sara was supposed to be asleep. She had finished her homework, and it was past her bedtime.
But she was not asleep. In fact, she was not even in bed. Instead, she sat by her window, looking at the stars above the trees.

“How far away is that one?” Sara asked herself, pointing to a star.

Sara was not very old, in fact she was no older than you are now.
And Sara loved to look at the stars. She would ask herself questions.
“How far away is that one?” or “How long would it take to go there?”
The next day, she would try to find answers.

Sara was thinking of another question to ask herself when she heard a noise.
Followed by a rumble.
She looked up, but there were only trees and the stars.
There was no noise coming from the sky.
So Sara looked down. The ground was moving.  No, Sara saw, something under the ground was moving!
The trees were shaking.
Sara asked herself, what could it be?

The noise got louder. And the rumbling got bigger.
All of a sudden a puff of smoke in many colors burst from the ground under a big olive tree.

Colored puffs of smoke burst from the ground under a big olive tree

Sara opened her window to see better.

When the smoke and dust settled, she could see something very large sitting on the ground.
What could it be?
It had a large head, a long tail, and wings.
It was a dragon!

The dragon stood up and shook off some dirt. Then it puffed some smoke from its nose.

“Hey!” Shouted Sara. “You were traveling under the ground!”
The dragon looked surprised. It turned towards Sara. Then it puffed more colored smoke and said, “excuse me. Who are you?”
“My name is Sara. Who are YOU?” She asked.
“I’m a dragon,” said the dragon.
“I can see that!” Said Sara, with a smile. “But what’s your name?”
“Name? I don’t have a name. I’m a dragon!”
Sara said, “I didn’t know dragons could travel under the ground like that.”
“Well,” said the dragon, “how many dragons have you ever met?”
“None,” said Sara. “I guess you make a good point.”
The dragon smiled.
So Sara decided to ask him, “What other things do you do?”
The dragon thought for a moment. Then he said, “well, you know, usual dragon stuff. I like to eat chestnuts and play chess.”
“Really?” said Sara. “I like to play chess, too!”
“I didn’t know little girls could play chess!” said the dragon, belching a thick cloud of red, yellow, and blue smoke.
“Well,” said Sara, “how many little girls have you ever met?”
“None,” said the dragon, and then with a smile, “Hmmm… I think you make a good point too!”
Sara smiled too.  Then she got out her chessboard, very quietly.

The dragon came close to the window, and Sara set the chessboard down and started putting the pieces in place.
“Black or white?” she asked.
“White, of course!” said the dragon, helping to put the pieces in place.
“Ok, then you go first.”
The dragon opened by playing the king’s pawn. Sara responded by moving out her knight.

“Interesting move,” said the dragon.

“Interesting move,” said the dragon.
They played a very enjoyable game. It ended in a draw.
Before the dragon left, Sara made him promise to come back soon for a rematch.

And then Sara finally fell asleep.

Petition Update: Almost 800 Signatures From Around the World!

The petition to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is close to reaching 800 signatures!

The signatories hail from over 25 countries. Many have made personal pleas, often noting their personal knowledge of the situation, the children, and their family.

Thank you to everyone for helping to spread the word, and all of the encouragement and offers of support that the family is receiving.

The petition can be found at:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/848/883/039/

Here are some of the heart-felt comments left by signatories, organized geographically:

California

J. C.
Please return these four children to the care of their father and legal custodian. The ultimate well being of these children is at risk.

K. J.

This is a terrible injustice. I have known Mike and his entire family my whole life. They are an incredible family and Mike is a wonderful man. The children need him in their lives.

ND

Mike has been a great dad to these kids. I have known him for over 35 years.

K. M.
Do the right thing for these children. Now.

S. D.
This is heartbreaking! These children have a father and family that love and care for them. Their mother abducted and abandoned them! Bring them home now!

D. A.
It’s way past time for these kids to be home.

L. R.
Secretary of State Clinton, Please get involved in this international abduction issue (by a mentally unstable mother) and try to help bring these children home? Thank-you in advance

M. S.
These children need to be returned to their father before even more psychological harm is done. They need to start healing in a loving home, please help them!

K. M.
Everyone’s primary concern must be the safety of the children.

J. S.
Please bring these children home to their Daddy where they belong. The World is watching!

M. F.
This case has been adjudicated Madame Secretary, I implore you to its enforcement: four of our most valuable and vulnerable – children – are in compounding daily risk.

F. B.
I was in Michael’s home in Italy when Ms. Grin sent a photo to him with bruises on her face she claimed he caused the day before (there was no way it could have happened). She told him on the message she was planning to complain to local police he beat her. The children are now in the daily care of a highly articulate but unbalanced, mentally ill parent. The message this case sends to other Russian citizens who believe they can count on unconditional government shielding in such wrenching cases astonishes me. Please consider US government intervention.

K. K.
Please help now

R. W.
Please re-unit these kids with their family.

L. V.
Please do what is right for these children !!

J. M.
If the US government and its agencies will not act to protect its children, when they have the authority to do so, why should that government expect any support from its citizens?

N. W.
Please help bring these kids home.

A. C.
Please help these children find their way back to their father. Their mother needs medical attention herself and the brainwashing needs to stop. These children NEED their father. The Italian Courts even said so. And HE NEEDS HIS children!

R. M.
I am the grandmother of these 4 children. I know how sick their mother is and she has kept them from talking to family and friends as she continues her brain washing!!,,Please help us stop her.

ND CA
Thank you for your intervention in this very important issue.

B. B.
Please work to resolve this issue for these children. They belong with their father based on ruling by Italy courts. The childrn’s future depends on getting them home as soon as possible

Oregon

M. B.
Let the kiddos come home to their legal guardian. There is a reason he was given custody. Prosecute this woman to the full extent of the law for kidnapping. There are other ways she could have gone about trying to get custody of her children that are legal.

T. S.
This situation has been a nightmare for the children and for their father and his family. Michael is a wonderful and caring father. The US State Department should act to support the well-being of this family by engaging with the Russian Foreign Minister and court system to safely reunite the children with their father.

H. H.
Please do everything your power to bring these children home to their father…orphanages are for children who have no living relatives to care for them; these children have someone who desperately wants them back and is willing to care for them. Please insist that applicable international laws be followed for the sake of these children! Sincerely and with respect, Mrs. Hopkins

K. S.
Please help these kids make it home safely to their dad!

K. H.
Let’s get these kids back to dad!

Nevada

ND
Why isn’t the US government taking any action??

Arizona

L. H.
Please help these children reunite with their father.

P. F.
These children need to be returned to their father. To read the history of their kidnapping, to read the court’s assessment of Marianne Grin, to know personally from his early years Michael McIlwrath, to believe in his integrity and devotion to life and his children is to know unwaveringly that action needs to be taken now — by those with the power to bring them home.

C. R.
No child should be wards of the state when there is a loving family waiting for them. Please help expedite this process and get those children home.

Washington

D. D.
Please use the available resources of the US to bring resolution to this unnecessary situation and to protect these children.

Texas

M G.
Madam Secretary, Americans need to know that their government is willing and able to protect them at home and abroad. Swift diplomatic intervention is the only logical and acceptable response to such a tragedy.

C. S.
My prayer is that these children are rightfully returned to their father. The time to do this is now!

ND
These Children need to go home. Back to their father and in safe stable hands.

R. T.
This is not right for the kids!!!!

D. P.
Countries should not keep children away from their custodial parent. My heart breaks for this father.

E. F.
A serious message needs to be sent to parents who abduct their children and flee to a foreign country. The kids need to be returned to their father, their legal custodial parent

J. E.
For the welfare of the children, it is imperative that these children be returned to their father who was the custodial rights!

C. H.
I am hoping with all my hearts that those children are going to return safe home, to people that love and sincerely care about them.

ND
Dear Secretary Clinton, We are personal friends of Maggi and Michael’s – they are wonderful people who care immensely about their children! Please intervene on their behalf with the Russian government to bring their children home to them! With Respect,

Utah

R. R.
U.S. Sec. of State Hillary Clinton- Please help bring home four American children that were abducted by their psychologically unfit mother. Help them to be returned to their father. I refer you to Bring Florentine Children Home for more details.

Nebraska

C. P.
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, PLEASE BRING THESE CHILDREN HOME TO THEIR FATHER AND STEP MOTHER. THEIR LIFES HAVE BEEN TORN IN HALF FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. I BELIEVE THESE CHILDREN ARE AT HARM. I BEG FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO HELP THIS FATHER GET HIS FAMILY BACK AND SAFE AND SOUND IN ITALY. THANK Y OU FOR LISTENING AND YOUR CONCERN

Wisconsin

M. M.
Mental illness is such a difficult disease. Please help these children regain a steady, healthy childhood and get their mother the help she so clearly needs.

K. P.
Please help these four wonderful children get home to their father, extended family and friends in Italy. This has gone on far too long.

Illinois
J. D.
Please get these kids back to their loving father!

C. P.
If anyone can do this, you can. Please put this on your list of very important things to do. The four children need your help.

District of Columbia

Please help these children to live a healthy, prosperous life with the family that loves them.

New York

J. H.
A friend of a friend (exactly that far removed) knows these kids and says the situation is urgent. Please look into this and make sure the children are reunited with their father.

J. N.
Mike loves his children and has worked hard to protect them from a terrible situation. We need to help get his kids back home.

S. L.
Please help return these children to a stable, loving home.

M. C.
Please help these children reunite with their Father.

G. AC.
The welfare of these children are at risk. There must be action soon! For everyday that passes 4 children are physically and mentally abused by this horrible injustice.

E. H.
This tragedy has been going on way too long. Please, act now and help bring these four children back to their loving family and friends.

Pennsylvania

K. G.
It is stunning that this is allowed to happen. I visited Mike several months before the children were abducted and had the pleasure of meeting two of the children who were just then emotionally recovering from the situation which gave rise to Mike getting sole custody, which is very rare in Italy. The sooner they are returned, the better.

E. P.
Ms. Clinton, Please protect the rights of these young citizens.

S. H.
Dear Secretary Clinton, This is a heartbreaking situation and an outrageous example of the Russian authorities failing to follow the law as needed to protect innocent children. Please do whatever you can to return these children to their family in Italy.

S. B.
The country should do what’s right, and uphold the law. The children must be returned to their Father, their family and rightfully so.

Maryland

A. M.
Please look into this case and do everything possible to reunite these children and their father and bring them back home to Italy.

Canada

H H., BC
Please think of the children and return them to their father. This is a tragic situation and the well-being of the children should come first and foremost.

M. G., AB
This happened the the niece and nephew of a friend of mine and those children were murdered by their mother in Turkey and the father was never allowed to see their bodies. Please help these children.

Italy

M. F.
Please, give the children the chance to grow in a safe environment, possibly happy, and beloved in a healthy way.

G. D B.
Please do whatever you can to bring these children back to a normal and happy family life.

R. F.
I know the childreen, they need the father and all their friends!!!!

M. B.
I personally know Mike. He is a person that doesn’t deserve such things. I hope he can join very soon with his lovable children.

A. G.
help the Children to protect their right to be again together with their loving father.

G. N.
I know Mike ….he is a terrific person. Always I will remember his kids’ photos and footprint of different sizes hanging on the wall of his office.

R. G.
It is a priority for any child to get love, care and support and I hope this signature can help them to get all these things back again with Mike soon.

M. C.
Children are suffering for this incledible situation. We have to do whatever is possible to help them.

E. B.
This is a SHAME and we need to act fast to protect these children and give them back to their careful father!!

L. F.
Bring them back where they belong, now!

R. DS,
Bring kids home, they deserve to have a balance life, opportunities and most at all … lots of love! they can get all of this with thier father.

ND
I truly hope that these wonderful kids will come back home with their loving father soon.

C. A.
Save the children absolutely!

D. A.
please help return these children to their father now.

B. B.
… it’s the right thing to do…

A. E.
I really hope this bad story has a happy ending

C. F.
Please help to bring these 4 childen home… they deserve a quite and happy life back HOME to their father!

S. A.
this is a horrible crime against four innocent children- they need to be brought home to Florence where they belong!

L. S.
Everybody of us can live far from his home suffering sadness and melancholy….but not a child! Please make happy these kids…you can do.

S. S.
Please, help them to come back to their father. Thank you

D. F.
se la madre non fosse stata dichiarata psicologicamente non adatta ad essere affidataria. NON avrebbe rapito i 4 bambini, situazione molto pericolosa anche per l’incolumità di essi

M. A.
Please help end this nightmare that the children are suffering. They belong home with their dad, surrounded by friends and family who love them.

D. A.
Please help these children!

Russian Federation

A. V.
I am currently in Russia. The kids must be returned to their Father and family back home in Italy.

Panama

R. F T.
Please help to end this terrible situation for these children and help to reunite with their beloved dad. Thank you !!

Austria

J. D.
You CAN DO it, Ms. Clinton. You can. Just do it

France

H. T.
Please help to ensure that the childrens’ well being is taken care of as soon as possible and they can live again among their family and friends in their home town.

C. S.
I am an American citizen living in France. I support this petition and fervently hope that the US government can intervene without further delay in this case for the good of the children.

J. M.
If there’s any reason we pay taxes to fund our government, it’s for these moments to bring justice to children who deserve a happy childhood.

J. F.
As a U.S. citizen living abroad with my family, I greatly hope that you help end the nightmare for these four children and their father.

Luxembourg

S. S.
Please, Help him!

Chile

L. M.
Please help this father to have contact with his children.

South Africa

S. E.
Unbelievable that cases like this could still occur (and be allowed) in modern society.

Australia

W. P.
What these children have gone through is extremely traumatic. The mother has not considered their needs or well being at all. The children are precious and need to be safely home with their father and family and friends where they can be loved and cared for appropriately. Please help these children. They have no voice or power and need those with the power in all USA and Russia to bring them home. God bless them and their father.

C. M.
Taking a child away from their life is abuse! The parent is selfish & NOT thinking about their child & their needs! There is plenty of help at home if they need it without skipping countries & abusing their child.

C. S.
Parental Child Abduction is Child Abuse. These children need to be returned to Italy now so that their human rights can be restored.

New Zealand

ND
Please do help these children before it is too late for them. They need to be with loving family who can care for them full time.

S. H.
It appears that the mother has serious mental health issues, you must act to support the Russian authorities to comply with the Hague Convention and return the children to their father.

The Half Elf, by Elliot Mcilwrath, Chapter 4

Elliot, summer 2011, during his vacation with his grandparents and uncle in California, just before the kidnapping.

As we have received many requests to make more of Elliot’s book available, here is the continuation:

The Half Elf, Chapter 4: Where Is Andrew Taking Me?

The room was bright, and led immediately to another hallway. Andrew obviously knew where he was going, and I followed him and Edward.  As we walked, I could feel the notebook tossing around in my sweatshirt and decided to take it out and jot down some notes. 

I marked it “top secret” on the cover, but then realized that would probably just make it a better target for a thief. So I slipped it back under my sweatshirt.

Continue reading The Half Elf, Chapter 4.

Or visit The Half Elf page of this webiste for other chapters and information about Elliot and his book.