Letter to the judge hearing the case in Mexico

Dear Mr. _____________,

I would like to thank you for taking the time to meet with me during my trip to Mexico almost three weeks ago, regarding the Hague case involving my nephew, Sage Bermudez Rayon.  I regret that our communication was complicated by the fact that I do not speak fluent Spanish, nor you English, and that we had to rely on translation in order to make our points.  Because of this, I was not able to express to you fully how the abduction of my nephew has affected both myself, and my entire family here in the U.S.  I am writing this letter to you now, and having it translated, so that I may do just that.

As you may know, Sage’s father Carlos is my twin brother.  Although I love all of my siblings, the relationship between twins is a unique one that I can’t quite put into words, except to say that when Sage was born, and he, Ana Belem, and my brother came to visit, holding him was almost like holding a little version of my own twin brother.  My own child was almost three years older than Sage, but I still looked so forward to the day when our children would spend time playing together, as cousins.  His mother and I exchanged emails a couple of times after their second visit, and I thought it would be an opportunity for both of us to get to know each other better, and to practice our language skills—I’ve always wanted to speak better Spanish, and since she was living in the U.S., I thought it would be helpful for her to practice English as well.  I have to admit, I did think it was strange that she hadn’t yet told her parents she was married to my brother, let alone that she’d been pregnant for 9 months, and was now a mother, but when I asked her why she wouldn’t let my brother meet her family, she said, “because I’m afraid they would kill him.”  I accepted her response, obviously not wanting any harm to come to my brother, but at the time was unaware that it would be the last time I held, or saw, my nephew for over three years.  Only 7 months later, shortly after Sage’s first birthday, Ana Belem told my brother she had to help out a family member in Arizona who was about to be deported, and abducted their son to Mexico.  Had it not been for my brother’s advanced understanding of computers and technology, he might not have figured out what Ana had done, and where she and Sage were, until it was too late. 

It would soon become clear that Ana’s intention was not only to take Sage out of the country, but to completely erase any memory, and all communication, between herself and Sage, and Sage’s loving father and family.  My brother, horrified and desperate, spent the next three years doing all he could from his home in N.C., first trying to work out a reasonable agreement between himself and Ana, and when she refused, learning all he could about International Parental Abduction and the Hague Convention.  During that time, Sage continued to get older, and to spend some of his most important formative years without the benefit of a father, and without half of his family and culture; my brother spent his time trapped in a fog of depression, exhaustion, and worry over the welfare of his son; and our family began to slowly realize that not only had we lost a beautiful little boy, but we had also lost my brother—my mother, her son. 

When Carlos left for Mexico, he went not only to be closer to the case and to take part in that, but to spend time re-establishing the bond with his growing son, the bond that his wife had so selfishly and abusively attempted to sever.  We were all very worried for him…missing him, but glad that he would at least get to finally see his little boy.  I traveled to Mexico not only to support him and to be with him, but to hold my little nephew for the first time in three years.  This was the one plea I made to you when I met with you that first day in court…”please let me see my nephew.” 

When I decided to go to Mexico, it was with the belief, or maybe just the hope, that it could not really be an entire judicial system condoning the actions of Ana Belem…the kidnapping of a child from his father.  Ana, through her continued displays of parental alienation and outrageous lies, had made this case such a clear-cut one in favor of my brother and Sage.  As the days passed, however, and my time to return home approached ever faster, my heart began to sink further and further each time Ana skipped a visit with Sage.  One day I sat with my brother, trying to reason with Ana’s parents Mr. and Mrs. Rayon for over three hours outside their house, with the hopes that I could take one picture with my nephew to bring home to my family…Sage was right on the other side of the door…and in the end, they refused to let him come out for even a minute. 

By the time I boarded a plane to come home ten days after arriving, my faith in the impartiality of the Mexican legal system, in its ability to look beyond Mexican vs. American, and instead to right vs. wrong, was shattered.  Not only had I not gotten my visit with Sage after traveling thousands of miles and spending just as much money, but I had witnessed my brother, Sage’s FATHER, attempt over and over again to attend his visits with his son, only to face the disappointment that he was not there once again. 

Perhaps my greatest disappointment is not the fact that Ana continues to do this to Carlos and to Sage, but that you, the judge who is supposed to right wrongs, and who has all the power in the world to make the visits happen should you care enough to do so, continue to make empty threats to Ana that are never enforced, thereby postponing the hearings for the Hague trial further and further, and allowing Sage to suffer the psychological abuse that his mother so freely doles out day after day.  This is NOT a custody case.  This is a clear case of right and wrong, of a kidnapper, and not only one, but several victims who have suffered due to her actions.  It should have been resolved years ago as delineated in the Hague Convention, of which Mexico is a signatory.  This is your job, and I implore you to begin taking it seriously.  These are the lives of a family, of real people, and yes, of that innocent little boy who deserves to know his father.

Sincerely,

Sonia Esther Bermudez Thompson, aunt of Sage Bermudez Rayon