“… rare cases which demand the opportunity for the judge to hear from the parties on a narrow issue in contention, oral evidence would not be admitted.”
“The written messages on social media, in emails and texts allow a straightforward analysis of parental attitudes at various stages. Although it is customary to permit oral evidence at summary return hearings where consent and acquiescence are in issue, the reality is that the extant written material permits a far more reliable assessment than the oral accounts particularly where, as here, the parties have such a strong investment in winning the arguments as to what the past comprised.”
“Summary To bring these strands together, in my view the applicable principles are as follows: 1. For the purposes ofArticle 13 of the Convention , the question whether the wronged parent has "acquiesced" in the removal or retention of the child depends upon his actual state of mind. As Neill L.J. said in Re S. (Minors)"the court is primarily concerned, not with the question of the other parent's perception of the applicant's conduct, but with the question whether the applicant acquiesced in fact". 2. The subjective intention of the wronged parent is a question of fact for the trial judge to determine in all the circumstances of the case, the burden of proof being on the abducting parent. 3. The trial judge, in reaching his decision on that question of fact, will no doubt be inclined to attach more weight to the contemporaneous words and actions of the wronged parent than to his bare assertions in evidence of his intention. But that is a question of the weight to be attached to evidence and is not a question of law. 4. There is only one exception. Where the words or actions of the wronged parent clearly and unequivocally show and have led the other parent to believe that the wronged parent is not asserting or going to assert his right to the summary return of the child and are inconsistent with such return, justice requires that the wronged parent be held to have acquiesced.”
“In September 2017 DO said he would come to live in England. Before this he had only wanted to FaceTime T once a week, although bombarded me with messages saying that he wanted me back. This was despite my asking him to give me space. DO told me the dates he planned to come to England, and I arranged a schedule of supervised contact, but on the day I was expecting him he told me he was delaying his trip. This was because he went on a work trip and then a holiday with “C” to Las Vegas and Arizona [“C” being the woman with whom he was having an affair]. 18. And at para.59 SO states that: “DO started to say in his messages that he wanted to move to England and would rent a house. He even told me that he was excited about the move and looking forward to living in England. He was looking for property and emailed estate agents requesting help in finding this. He applied for a bank account with HSBC. He applied for a quote on shipping cars. He spoke of opening a business, and obtained an English telephone number which he put on his email signature. I never told DO that I did not want him to come to England to live but I did say I did not want C to be here, and that I could not live with him given his abuse. DO then shipped our belongings from our house, including T’s clothes and toys, and my laptop. He also sent me flowers and sent new toys for T. At this stage there was no mention of returning.”
“I truly believe from all the messages, which have been many, that DO is not wanting T to return but is using T as he wants me back in America where he will have control over me again.”
“You have moved him [T] without permission from our home”
“I haven’t moved out.”
“I am planning to return if this can be resolved. I have not left.” [B12 supplemental bundle] At B30 of the same bundle, and bearing a handwritten date of14 August 2017 , SO told DO in further text messages that she would come home when she considered it “safe to do so”
“I’m moving to England until we resolve us.”
“When will you be providing me access to my money so I can feed, shelter, clothe and otherwise care for T, the pets [which were, of course, in America] and myself?”
“I feel it would be prudent for SO to avoid any long haul flights because of her risk of thrombosis. In addition, her baby needs close monitoring especially as she is not feeling a lot of foetal movements.” [C281] in his second letter, dictated on31 January 2018 and obtained at the request of SO, Mr M says: “Further to my previous letter dated15 January 2018 , I have had the opportunity of discussing SO’s case with a senior haematologist. He is in agreement with me that SO should not go on any long haul flights for the remainder of this pregnancy, even as early as 30 weeks, because of her increased risk of thrombosis for which she is currently taking Clexane. This risk is severely increased at this stage of pregnancy which is a significant medical concern.”