The children, a boy and a girl, were aged 1 2/3 and 2 weeks at the date of the alleged wrongful removal. They had lived in Canada all of their lives. The parents were separated.
On 5 October 1989 the Supreme Court of Ontario issued an order preventing the mother from removing the children from Ontario. On or about 5 October 1989 the mother took the children to the United States.
On 5 December 1989 the Ontario Central Authority forwarded a return application to the United States Central Authority. The New York State Clearinghouse for Missing and Exploited Children contacted the New York City Police who verified the children’s residence in Brooklyn.
On 18 December 1990 the father filed his petition for the return of the children.
