A British mother who allegedly abducted her two young sons from their American father has been evading UK authorities for more than three months. Nishika Samaratunga, 34, originally from Sri Lanka but now living in Britain, is believed to be hiding five-year-old Blaine Baier and his three-year-old brother Nathaniel, known as Nate. The boys, both born in the United States, had been living with their father, Ben Baier, near Denver, Colorado.
Court-ordered visit leads to disappearance
They travelled to the UK in March for court-mandated contact following their parents’ divorce, but Ms Samaratunga failed to return them as ordered on March 29. She and the children have not been seen since, according to the Daily Star. Mr Baier, 43, has launched High Court proceedings in an attempt to secure his sons' return, with his solicitors raising concerns that the two boys do not appear to be attending school or nursery and are not receiving medical attention.
Mr Baier said: "The collapse of my marriage has been an incredibly trying time, but I never believed that Nishika would abduct Blaine and Nathaniel and then conceal their whereabouts in an effort to keep them from me, uprooting them from their home in Colorado. Both our children have autism, and such abrupt changes to their routine are incredibly damaging to their development and health. I'm calling for her to do the right thing and return them to me so they can return to their life as normal, and for anyone who knows where they are to help return them to their home. I can only pray for their safe return."
Legal background and custody ruling
The High Court has authorised the release of case details to aid in locating the children. Mr Baier and Ms Samaratunga married in 2020, with Ms Samaratunga subsequently moving to the US, though their marriage broke down in 2024. Ms Samaratunga later applied to a Colorado court seeking permission to relocate the children to London in August last year, but returned to the UK the following month after this was denied. She lodged further applications to move the children, however a Colorado court ruled in October that Mr Baier should become their sons' primary custodial parent.
While the Colorado court ordered that the children must remain in the state, it also directed Mr Baier to bring the children to England so they could spend time with Ms Samaratunga, with an initial visit taking place between December and January. However, when Mr Baier arrived at the airport to collect his sons and return them to the US following the second visit in March, Ms Samaratunga failed to hand them over, in direct violation of the Colorado court's order.
Ongoing search and legal measures
The High Court in London has subsequently issued orders against multiple companies to locate Ms Samaratunga, including JP Morgan Chase, HSBC, Thames Water and the NHS, yet no information has emerged regarding her whereabouts. A judge in Colorado also authorised American law enforcement to assume custody of the children in April, referencing a "credible risk that the children are in imminent danger". They also stated that Ms Samaratunga had "engaged in activities indicating a planned abduction" and had "unilaterally prevented the children's court-ordered return". This meant the children were "presently physically and emotionally endangered".
Amy Rowe, partner at Hunters Law LLP, who is representing Mr Baier, said: "The court has rightly recognised the deeply harmful impact of abduction on Blaine and Nathaniel. These are two very young, vulnerable children and every day that they remain missing increases the concern for their welfare. It is imperative that they are found and returned home safely as soon as possible."
Anyone with information concerning Ms Samaratunga and the boys' whereabouts can contact Amy Rowe or Safina Mitha at Hunters Law confidentially.
