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GreekReporter.comGreek NewsCrimeKidnapped Greek Boy Returned to the U.S.

Kidnapped Greek Boy Returned to the U.S.

leo picThe long international battle, concerning the custody of Leo Zagaris, came to an end on March 16. Twelve-year-old Leo flew from Indiana to Greece in June 2011 to visit his father, according to the divorce agreement between his parents.

Leo had made the trip four times before, without an incident. But this time his father, Nikos Zagaris, refused to send the boy back to his mother, Alissa Zagaris, who had legal custody of her son.

This is how Alissa and Leo Zagaris were driven in the middle of a bureaucratic nightmare, in which two nations, the FBI, Interpol, the State Department, international treaties and courts in both continents were involved, as INDYSTAR reports.

The U.S. State Department and the Greek Authorities had to exert great pressure to make Nikos Zagaris give up Leo. N. Zagaris was arrested by the Greek police while he was walking home with his son, and was brought before the Ministry of Justice in Athens. Alissa was already there to take her son back, after 20 months. Mother and son spent the night in an Athens hotel and the next morning, March 16, returned to Noblesville to continue their life.

Nikolaos Zagaris faces U.S. charges for international kidnapping. After cooperation with the police we was released and allowed to go to his home in Marathon, Greece.

Concerning the history of Leo’s parents, Nikolaos Zagaris was also arrested in 2008, after a violent domestic incident and was charged in Hamilton County with domestic battery and felony strangulation. Before he stood trial on these charges, he fled to Greece. Without the presence of her husband, Alissa was granted divorce and the custody of Leo. In the divorce agreement Nicolaos was given visitation rights and guaranteed visits to Greece.

Now that the case has finally come to an end and Alissa has won her son back, she said: “Today is the day I finally go from victim to advocate.” She also vowed to turn her success into a mission to help others whose children have been taken away to foreign lands.

As regards Leo, the ending was a little tough for him who was unaware of being the center of an international battle over his custody: “The police came out and just took us away. They drove us all the way over to Athens. I went into a room with a lady, and she explained what was happening. But my father went into a different room.” He also said: “I don’t really understand, but I’m glad to be home. I just want to see my friends.”

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