Ukrainian boy ordered returned to Ukraine in abduction case

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

A High Court judge ordered a 10-year-old Ukrainian boy returned to Ukraine in a wrongful-retention case, in proceedings reported on 27 November 2024.

Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty found that the boy had been wrongfully retained after travelling from Poland to Ireland with his mother. His mother said the move was intended to last for the duration of the war, while the boy feared returning because of the danger in Ukraine.

The judge ruled that the child’s safety concerns were not supported by sufficient evidence of grave risk and that he had not become settled in Ireland. The father could provide undertakings that the boy would be moved if any threat arose.