At the beginning of September 2011, Marianne Grin ( Марианны Гринь) illegally abducted her four children from their custodial father in Italy. She took them first to Venice, where she was a guest of the local Chabad-Lubavitch community, and then traveled through Croatia to Russia. There she placed the children into institutions for orphans and children of alcoholic parents operated by the Chabad-Lubavitch organization, which illegally kept them in total isolation from their father, family, and all of their friends.
As discussed elsewhere in this site, the abduction took place after the father had been awarded sole custody of the children. A court-appointed psychologist had concluded that Grin suffers from “a severe personality disorder” with “paranoid fantasies” of “plots and persecutions against her”. The court-appointed expert expressed serious concerns that Grin fills the children with anger and paranoia, especially towards all of their relatives and others who were recently their close friends. In fact, after abducting the children, she has prevented all family from having any contact with them (since September 2011).
Television coverage: The highly regarded Italian news program, Le Iene, visited Russia in May 2012 and document the children’s being placed in orphanages and their mother’s consistent lying about their living conditions. Versions are in Italian, English, and Russian: Assistenti Sociali in Russia (Italian). A version with English subtitles is available here (English). Марианны Гринь – интервью итальянским журналистам (русские субтитры).
In Russian media, Komsomolskaya Pravda, an online Russian daily newspaper, has published a video with interviews of Marianne Grin (Марианны Гринь) and attempted to verify her claims. It is also available with English subtitles. The report also discusses the Russian lower court’s decision to ignore the country’s treaty with Italy, refusing to enforce the Italian judgment that awarded domicile of the children to the father.
Abduction documented in Russian press: Comprehensive coverage of the Grin abduction, and her placing the children in orphanages, was covered by the St. Petersburg newspaper, Fontanka, in the following articles: Russia Will Not Return the Children of Americans, March 22, 2012, and follow up articles listed below.
A partial list of media coverage in Russian, Italian, and English is listed below:
Русский:
Продолжение приключений американца в России
Россия не отдаст американских сыновей http://www.fontanka.ru/2012/03/22/024/
Американских детей поделят суды
В деле про американских сыновей учли международное право
Коллизия юрисдикций: Петербургский суд признал приоритет итальянского коллеги.
Международное частное право в действии
У российской демократии есть пульс, теперь ей нужно сердце Взгляд с другой стороны
In English:
Politics Seen in International Custody Disputes http://www.themoscowtimes.com/mobile/article/why-a-girl-tore-her-us-passport/475927.html 21 February, 1013
Corriere Fiorentino April 6, 2012 English
Corriere Fiorentino April 4, 2012 English
Did Chabad Help Kidnap 4 Children (Failed Messiah)
April 4 2012 Press Release – Four American Children Kidnapped
Russian Democracy Has a Pulse; Now It Needs a Heart
Children in a Legal Vacuum: International Child Abduction (Huffington Post on the damage to children and the relevance of the Grin kidnapping)
The Fight to Find Florentine Kids, Divorce Leads to Child Abduction, The Florentine, 27 October 2011
Four Children Kidnapped in Florence, 1 November 2011
Stampa – in Italiano:
Figli Rapiti Dalla Madre, La Russia Non Collabora La Nazione 26 Gennaio 2013
Bimbi rapiti all’estero dalla madre, Chiesto l’interrogatorio in Russia La Nazione Dicembre 13 2012
La mamma fuggita in Russia aiutata da Ebrei ultra-ortodossi, Corriere 1 giugno 2012
Corriere Fiorentino Aprile 6 2012
Io, in guerra per i miei figli, rapiti e lasciati in un istituto, Corriere, 4 aprile 2012
Io, in guerra… copia della versione in edicola, Corriere Fiorentino article April 4 2012 copy
La moglie fugge in Russia con i figli, La Repubblica, 14 ottobre 2011
Rapisce i 4 figli e scappa in Russia, La Repubblica, 14 ottobre 2011
http://www.dirittoeminori.com/pages/bambini-spariti-nel-nulla/
http://www.zeroviolenzadonne.it/rassegna/pdfs/3c599e38af67429291cf552de40d55d1.pdf
Scappa con i figli in Russia: i figli erano affidati al padre, La Nazione, 14 ottobre, 2011
Aiutateci a diffondere la notizia per riportare i 4 bambini fiorentini a basassi padre