British mother on the run after abducting sons from American father on UK visit

A British mother who abducted her two sons from their American father has been on the run in the UK for more than three months, prompting him to take court action.

Nishika Samaratunga, 34, and her two children, five-year-old Blaine Baier and three-year-old Nathaniel Baier, known as Nate, have not been seen since March.

The boys were born in the US and lived with their father, Ben Baier, near Denver, Colorado.

Blaine and Nate visited their mother in the UK in March as part of a court-ordered visit after their parents divorced.

But Ms Samaratunga failed to return the boys to Mr Baier at a UK airport on 29 March, and the trio have not been seen since.

Mr Baier, 43, has launched High Court proceedings to try to secure his sons' return.

His lawyers raised concerns that the two boys do not appear to be attending school or nursery and are not receiving medical care.

Mr Baier said: "The collapse of my marriage has been an incredibly trying time, but I never believed that Nishika would abduct Blaine and Nathaniel and then conceal their whereabouts in an effort to keep them from me, uprooting them from their home in Colorado.

"Both our children have autism, and such abrupt changes to their routine are incredibly damaging to their development and health.

"I'm calling for her to do the right thing and return them to me so they can return to their life as normal, and for anyone who knows where they are to help return them to their home.

"I can only pray for their safe return."

The High Court has allowed the publication of details of the case to help find the children.

'Young, vulnerable children'

Mr Baier and Ms Samaratunga married in 2020, and she moved to the US, but their relationship broke down in 2024.

Ms Samaratunga then applied to a Colorado court to relocate the children to London in August last year but, when this was refused, she returned to the UK.

She made further requests to relocate the children, but a Colorado court ordered in October that Mr Baier should be their sons' primary custodial parent.

While the Colorado court ordered that the children must remain in the state, it also ordered Mr Baier to take the children to England so they could spend time with Ms Samaratunga, with a first visit taking place between December and January.

But following the second visit in March, Ms Samaratunga failed to return them to Mr Baier at the airport, as had been ordered by the court.

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The High Court in London has since issued orders to several companies to trace Ms Samaratunga, including JP Morgan Chase, HSBC, Thames Water and the NHS, but it has revealed no information about her whereabouts.

A judge in Colorado authorised American law enforcement to take custody of the children in April, citing a "credible risk that the children are in imminent danger".

Ms Samaratunga had "engaged in activities indicating a planned abduction" and "unilaterally prevented the children's court-ordered return", the judge added, meaning the children were "presently physically and emotionally endangered".

Amy Rowe, partner at Hunters Law LLP, representing Mr Baier, said: "The court has rightly recognised the deeply harmful impact of abduction on Blaine and Nathaniel.

"These are two very young, vulnerable children, and every day that they remain missing increases the concern for their welfare.

"It is imperative that they are found and returned home safely as soon as possible."

(c) Sky News 2026: British mother on the run after abducting sons from American father on UK visit