The Kaohsiung District Court yesterday ruled that Iruan Ergui Wu (
Judge Yang Fu-chiang (
"When social workers chatted with [Iruan], they discovered that deep inside this little boy's mind, he still remembers his early childhood in Brazil," Yang said. "He also said that he missed his family in Brazil very much."
PHOTO:WANG JUNG-HSIANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Yang also said the court based its ruling on Article 1094 of the Civil Code.
The article states that "where both parents can not exercise the rights nor assume the duties in regard to a child who is a minor, or where the parents die without appointing any guardian in a will, the guardian is determined in the following order: 1. Grandparents living in the same household with the minor; 2. Head of the household; 3. Grandparents not living in the same household as the minor; 4. Paternal uncle; 5. Person selected by the family council."
Wu Huo-yen (
Speaking on behalf of Rosa Ergui, Iruan's grandmother, Lawyer Hsu Wen-bin (許文彬) said Ergui was excited about the verdict.
Hsu also said that Ergui has no plans to keep Iruan from Taiwan forever.
"She said that she would allow Iruan to visit Taiwan every now and then, such as during winter and summer vacations. Taiwan is still his other home," Hsu said.
Iruan was born to a Brazilian mother who died in Brazil four years ago and a Taiwanese father, Wu Teng-shu (
Wu Huo-yen managed to obtain permanent resident status for the boy in late June last year, claiming he did so to fulfill his brother's wish that the child be raised in Taiwan and receive a Chinese-style education.
"Iruan has been living here for more than a year and has already adjusted to the environment," he said. "We believe letting him stay here is the best plan. No matter what, we want to do whatever is best for him."
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