AGAINST THEIR WILL, our Grandsons, Timothy,  age 12 and Noah,  age 11 were forced away from the United States to Germany by their mother.

1/19/2022 UPDATE:  The boys told their dad that "the boyfriend" sat on Noah and held him down by his neck.  Their mother was there.  As far as we know, she did nothing to stop this.  This has been reported to the police.

Friends, my name is Susan Lorenz.  I want to  help my son, Benjamin, raise the funds he needs for legal costs and other expenses to bring our American-born grandsons home to the United States from Germany.

Ben and the boys' mother met here in the States. She was an exchange student from Germany. They were married in 2000. In 2004 they bought a home in Plymouth, Michigan, and both boys were born in Michigan. In 2014, Benjamin's employer temporarily transferred him to Germany. Unfortunately, they ended up in Germany considerably longer than initially thought and by the beginning of 2020, Ben's wife had decided to end the marriage. She deserted the family by spring during the first COVID-19 wave. By July 2020, Ben had had enough of the German situation and brought the boys to the United States with their mother's signed consent.

 

The boys quickly made up their minds to stay in the United States. They started the school year in the Plymouth-Canton schools, and they both loved it. They made friends, joined Boy Scouts, and began regular attendance at church. Noah was in Sunday school, and Timothy was an acolyte and attended confirmation. They loved their life here.

 

Benjamin and the boys' mother had always promised the boys that they would return to the USA, and Ben honored their wish to stay in the United States, but legal issues regarding custody with their mother mounted. It was tough for Ben to find an attorney experienced in International child custody law and the Hague Convention. He had an attorney dismissed as she refused to litigate. On December 16th, 2021, Benjamin was ordered to appear with the boys at the Wayne County Circuit Court at 9:30 a.m the next morning. He thought he was going to present his case for custody. At this hearIng, on December 17th, his second attorney WALKED OUT OF THE COURTROOM DURING THE HEARING and did not present anything of Benjamin's case. All of us were beside ourselves trying to figure out what to do. The 17th was also when their mother forced the boys into a van waiting outside the courthouse then drove them "down Telegraph, down Telegraph, down Telegraph," as Timothy described it. They were taken to an unknown location and did not provide the boys with meals for over 13 hours.

They went to two different hotels for two nights before their mother forced them on a plane to Germany. We have not seen them since.

 

Ben has finally found an attorney he believes has the knowledge and experience to see him through this nightmare. We have put together the money needed for a retainer, but this legal business could go on a lengthy while because of the International nature, and Ben does not have the money to fund the long run. PLEASE HELP US GET OUR BOYS BACK. We miss them desperately and they beg to come home. Their Dad has minimal contact with them because their mother hides the phone and does not allow them internet access. Even when the boys do get to talk to their Dad, their mother listens to every conversation, interrupts in the background, and/or takes the phone away from them. They try to sneak phone calls. We were not allowed to speak to the boys on Christmas or New Year's. Benjamin was allowed to speak to Noah for only a few minutes on his birthday. She limits their contacts, speaks badly about their father and basically keeps them confined and under her control. We are heartbroken.

 

These are AMERICAN boys who love the USA. They don't want to live with their mother in Germany. They want to live with their Dad and the boys need their Dad.

 

Please help us if you are able. I thank you with all my heart. If you know of anyone else who might be able to help us with this huge challenge, please share our need with them.

 

With gratitude, Susan Lorenz