WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), today sent a letter to Costa Rican Ambassador Fernando Llorca Castro urging his assistance in returning American citizen Camille Stefanick Berrocal to the United States. Camille was abducted by her mother in August 2019, and her father, New Jersey resident Jonathan Stefanick, has continued to pursue his legal right to custody and Camille’s safe return home.
“Camille has only ever lived in the United States until her abduction to Costa Rica in 2019. As you know, in becoming a party to the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction, Costa Rica agreed to return as quickly as possible all internationally abducted children to their country of habitual residence, which is the United States in this instance,” the Senators wrote. “We believe that your advocacy on this case can play an important role, specifically as it relates to the reinstatement of contact between Mr. Stefanick and his daughter. We encourage you to pursue all appropriate diplomatic channels to ensure its swift resolution.”
The Senators’ letter follows Costa Rican authorities’ orders to allow contact between Camille and her father and Costa Rica’s Family Court’s recent decision to legally authorize Camille’s return to the United States.
Find a copy of the letter HERE and below.
Dear Ambassador Llorca Castro:
We are writing to follow up on a New Jersey constituent case, Mr. Jonathan Stefanick, an American citizen whose child, Camille Stefanick Berrocal, was abducted to Costa Rica by her mother in August 2019.
It is our understanding that as Mr. Stefanick continues to pursue his legal right to custody of his daughter and her safe return to the United States, the relevant authorities in Costa Rica have ordered that Mr. Stefanick be allowed to have contact with the child. Unfortunately, this has not yet occurred. It is also our understanding that earlier this month Costa Rica’s Family Court ruled in favor of Mr. Stefanick, authorizing Camille’s return to the United States.
Camille has only ever lived in the United States until her abduction to Costa Rica in 2019. As you know, in becoming a party to the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction, Costa Rica agreed to return as quickly as possible all internationally abducted children to their country of habitual residence, which is the United States in this instance.
We believe that your advocacy on this case can play an important role, specifically as it relates to the reinstatement of contact between Mr. Stefanick and his daughter. We encourage you to pursue all appropriate diplomatic channels to ensure its swift resolution. We thank you in advance for your time and consideration. We look forward to your response.
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