The parents were married from 1985 to 1987 and during this time lived in Israel. After the divorce the mother left Israel, but after some time the parents resumed their relationship, and in 1991 they re-settled in Israel.
The child, a boy, was born in March 1994. On 13 October 2001 the mother brought the child to Denmark without the father’s knowledge. Thus the child was 7 years old at the time of the alleged wrongful removal. The mother informed the father that she and the child did not intend to return to Israel.
At the end of October 2001 the Israeli central authority forwarded an application on behalf of the father for the return of the child. A Danish county court decided in accordance with Article 15 to request a ruling as to whether the removal was wrongful within the meaning of Article 3.
In November 2001 a Family Court in Israel ruled that the removal was wrongful. On 7 December 2001 a Danish county court ordered the return of the child to Israel. The mother appealed.
