The child, a girl, was 2 1/2 at the date of the alleged wrongful removal. She had lived in both Greece and the United States, although the majority of her life had been spent in the former State. The parents were married and had joint rights of custody.
On 11 September 1996 the mother took the girl to the United States without the consent of the father.
In October 1996 the mother was granted an ex parte order for custody in the United States. The father brought a habeas corpus action to prevent the child’s removal from the State of Connecticut pending a hearing on his return application.