Carlwig

ORDER GRANTING PETITION FOR RETURN OF CHILDREN TO SWEDEN [1, 3]

I. INTRODUCTION

Before the Court is a discrete area of international law that presents a rare instance where a federal district court must dip its toes into the waters of family law. Petitioner Andreas Carlwig is seeking the expedited return of his two minor children to Sweden pursuant to the Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, done at the Hague on October 25, 1980 (the “Convention”), and its implementing legislation, the International Child Abduction Remedies Act (“ICARA”), 42 U.S.C. §§ 11601-11 . Respondent Sar-odjiny Carlwig is the children’s mother and the wife of Petitioner. She is currently in Los Angeles with the couple’s two children. While the Court must make a foray into family law to adjudicate the Petition, the Court notes that this is not a child custody proceeding. The Court’s role is limited to determining where child custody proceedings should be held — the U.S. or Sweden. For the reasons discussed below, the Court GRANTS the Petition and ORDERS the return of A.L.C. and E.R.S.C. to Sweden for custody proceedings. (ECF Nos. 1, 3.)

II. PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On February 27,…