About – Help Bring My Children Home

Robert Clarke is the father of two Australian born children, Benny (4 years) and Lucia (16 months) Clarke.
Their Colombian mother Maria Yepez Oviedo, has lived in Australia since 2013 and is a permanent resident.
Both children were born in Melbourne, Australia: Benny April 3rd 2015 and Lucia September 18th 2018.
Benny and Lucia are both Australian citizens and hold Australian passports.
Both children had resided in Australia from birth prior to being abducted and unlawfully retained in Colombia.
On 20 February 2019, while on a family holiday, Benny and Lucia were illegally retained in Colombia by Maria and her family. Robert has not seen his children since.
On 12 March 2019, Robert commenced legal proceedings under The Hague Convention to have his children returned to the country of their birth.
On 20 December 2019, the Colombian judge ruled the Clarke Children had been illegally retained in Colombia but failed to rule that they be returned home to Australia.
This ruling by Judge Hernan Rodriguez Reina in Ipiales Colombia, is in breach of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
In February 2020, Robert Clarke and his Australian family have just one opportunity to appeal this decision.