A Colorado father has made a desperate plea for his ex-wife to return their two young sons, who he says were abducted during a court-ordered visit to the UK more than three months ago. Ben Baier, 43, has not seen his children, Blaine Baier, five, and Nathaniel Baier, known as Nate, three, since March 29, when their mother, Nishika Samaratunga, failed to hand them over at a UK airport.
Father launches High Court proceedings
Mr Baier has initiated High Court proceedings in London to secure the return of his sons. His lawyers have raised serious concerns that the boys, who both have autism, are not attending school or nursery and are not receiving medical care. The Colorado court had granted Mr Baier primary custody of the children in October 2024, after the couple's marriage broke down.
“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,” Mr Baier said. “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.”
Background of the case
Ms Samaratunga, a 34-year-old British citizen originally from Sri Lanka, married Mr Baier in 2020 and moved to the US. Their relationship broke down in 2024. She applied to a Colorado court to relocate the children to London in August last year but returned to the UK the following month after the request was refused. Further requests were also denied, and the court ordered that the children must remain in Colorado, with Mr Baier as the primary custodial parent.
However, the court also ordered Mr Baier to take the children to England for supervised visits with their mother. The first visit took place between December 2025 and January 2026. During the second visit in March 2026, Ms Samaratunga failed to return the boys at the airport, breaching the Colorado court order. Since then, she and the children have not been located.
Court orders and international involvement
The High Court in London has issued orders against several companies, including JP Morgan Chase, HSBC, Thames Water, and the NHS, to trace Ms Samaratunga, but no information has been forthcoming. A judge in Colorado also authorised American law enforcement to take custody of the children in April, citing a “credible risk that the children are in imminent danger.” The judge noted that Ms Samaratunga had “engaged in activities indicating a planned abduction” and had “unilaterally prevented the children’s court-ordered return,” leaving the children “presently physically and emotionally endangered.”
Amy Rowe, partner at Hunters Law LLP, 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 regarding the whereabouts of Ms Samaratunga and the boys is urged to contact Amy Rowe or Safina Mitha at Hunters Law confidentially.
