Nishika Samaratunga Case Explained: Everything You Need to Know About the Child Abduction Investigation

British mother Nishika Samaratunga, 34, is accused of abducting her two autistic sons, five-year-old Blaine and three-year-old Nathaniel 'Nate' Baier, from their American father, Ben Baier.

The mother allegedly failed to return the boys after a court-approved visit to the UK in March, prompting the 43-year-old father to launch an international search and seek urgent legal intervention.

The couple married in 2020 before reportedly divorcing after their relationship 'broke down' in 2024.

Ben said: 'The collapse of my marriage has been an incredibly trying time, but I never believed that Nishika would abduct Blaine and Nathaniel.'

Nishika and the two boys were due to reunite with Ben on 29 March, but prosecutors say they never arrived at the airport.

In mid-July, the High Court in London approved the public disclosure of details of the case to help trace the children, after Ben's lawyers raised concerns that the boys were not attending school or receiving medical care.

A Closer Look Into the Couples' Relationship

Nishika is a British citizen and scion of a Sri Lankan tea dynasty who moved to the United States after marrying Colorado native Ben Baier in 2020. Since then, the couple raised their two children in America.

Following their divorce, Nishika applied in August 2025 to relocate the children permanently to London, but the request was denied. She applied the following month again, but in October of that same year, her husband was awarded primary custody of the kids by a Colorado judge, limiting her and the children's time together under a court-approved arrangement.

How Investigations Began

The arrangement was initially followed without an incident when the boys visited Nishika in a scheduled contact between December 2025 and January 2026.

However, after a second court-approved visit in March, Nishika allegedly failed to return the boys to Colorado and has not been seen publicly since, triggering the international investigation.

Ben has since appealed for their safe return repeatedly and has grown concerned over his sons' state due to their dependence on routine, as both of them have autism.

'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,' Mr Baier said in a statement.

A Colorado judge authorised US law enforcement officers to take the boys into protective custody in April, days after their scheduled return to US soil. The judge also believes that boys were in imminent danger after concluding that Nishika allegedly engaged in activities suggesting a planned abduction.

Investigation Enters Its Fourth Month

Several organisations, including banks and utility providers, have been contacted for disclosure orders to help trace the whereabouts of Nishika and the two boys. No public breakthrough has been made so far.

As the search enters its fourth month, the case turns into an urgent international effort to find two vulnerable young children. With each passing day, concerns for the boys increase, but Ben Baier says he remains focused on one goal: bringing Blaine and Nathaniel home safely.