Kaohsiung judges will be accompanied by police officers and Brazilian diplomats to the Kaohsiung home of Taiwanese-Brazilian boy Iruan Ergui Wu (
The Supreme Court set a deadline of today for Iruan's uncle, Wu Huo-yen (吳火眼), to hand over the eight-year-old boy, who has been at the center of a custody battle stretching back to 2002.
"The case will be closed when Iruan is under the Brazilian diplomats' escort," said Liao Cheng-hsiung (
"We hope that the Wu family will respect the court decision and let Iruan go," Liao said.
Iruan was born in Brazil in 1995 to a Brazilian woman and a Taiwanese fisherman. His mother died in 1998 and his father brought him to Taiwan in 2001, but died two weeks later. In that same year, Iruan received Republic of China citizenship and his uncle applied for guardianship.
The Supreme Court ruled on Nov. 13 last year that Iruan must return to his grandmother in Brazil, who is the boy's legal guardian.
Liao said he hoped the Wu family would not try to defy the court order but that the police are authorized to take Iruan away by force if necessary.
Judges could also fine the Wu family between NT$30,000 and NT$300,000 each time they resist attempts to repatriate the boy, or jail Iruan's uncle until the family turns Iruan over.
"Nothing is going to stop us enforcing the law," he said.
Although the Brazilian diplomats are authorized to represent Iruan's Brazilian grandmother, it is up to Taiwanese law enforcement officers to see that the child is handed over to them.
In a last-ditch attempt to stay in the country, Iruan wrote to President Chen Shui-bian (
In a reply published yesterday, Chen said that everybody had to respect the law.
"I would like you to be here as well. But we all have to respect the decisions of the court, even the president. Taiwan will always be your home and you are always welcome to come back," Chen said.
Paulo Pinto, head of the Brazil Business Center, which acts as Brazil's representative office in Taiwan in the absence of formal diplomatic ties, has been standing by in Kaohsiung and will go with police officers today to escort Iruan back to Brazil.
According to the center, Pinto and his wife are planning to fly with Iruan from Kaohsiung's international airport this afternoon.
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