March 29, 1986
Kirsten and Ronald Chesnut get married in Denmark
February 19, 1990
Their son Christian Peter is born in the USA
February 4, 1993
Ronald is convicted of assault on fellow road user.
Christmas 1996
Ronald causes an accident driving Kirsten’s car after
a night on the town
June 18, 1997
Kirsten discovers that Ronald is having an affair and
she files for divorce
on full grounds of
infidelity and Ronald’s alcoholism. Judge Kirk Granier notes on the first
draft to a consent agreement, that Christian is not to be removed from the
State of Louisiana until the custody issue is settled!*
July
1, 1997
Kirsten and Ronald sign a consent agreement**, whereby
the prohibition to remove the child is void*. Money is set-aside at the
division of assets for Kirsten and Christian’s coming travel to Denmark.
November 18, 1997
Ronald files a petition against Kirsten, demanding a
temporary restraining order, that neither he nor Kirsten may travel outside the
State of Louisiana without both parties prior consent in writing***.
Kirsten’s attorney, Paul Billingsly, dismisses the demand and no court meeting
is ever held – instead the attorneys continue corresponding with each other.
December 9, 1997
Ronald harasses and threatens Kirsten on the
telephone. Paul Billingsly forwards a tape-recording of the threats to Ronald’s
attorney. In the forwarding letter Billingsley emphasises, that no court of
law can prevent Kirsten from visiting her parents in Europe and taking her son
with her!
December 11, 1997
In a letter to Kirsten’s parents Ronald’s mother
confirms her son’s alcohol problems and his infidelity.
January 9, 1998
Attorney Billingsley asks Ronald to place his four
weeks vacation with Christian at either the beginning or at the end of the
summer, so that Kirsten can take Christian with her to visit the grandparents
in Denmark. Ronald does not answer.
June 2, 1998
Kirsten then places her vacation at the beginning of
the summer, buys return tickets and travels to Denmark with Christian.
June 3, 1998
Kirsten and Christian arrive in Denmark
June 8, 1998
Ronald raises the alarm to the American authorities.
He presents:
** Consent Judgement regarding joint custody
*Parts of Kirsten’s petition for divorce with the handwritten note by
the judge.
*** Ronald’s petition from November 18, 1997 that, neither he nor
Kirsten may travel outside Louisiana with Christian without both parties’
written consent.
June
10, 1998
American authorities forward the request to the Danish
Department of Private Law.
During the following days, the Americans put pressure
on the Department of Private Law. They refer to two prior cases, which
apparently went really bad. They claim that Kirsten will go underground, and
the Department of Private Law is requested not to translate the American
documents.
Attached are also two notarised affidavits by
colleagues at Kirsten’s place of work, alleging that she has not asked for
leave. The Notary is Ronald’s attorney.
June 17, 1998
The Department of Private Law does not translate the
documents, but forwards the case to the Bailiff’s court in Aalborg (DK).
Particular emphasis is put on Ronald’s petition*** which the department
believes to be a court order.
July 7, 1998During the following
weeks the Department of Private Law, the (Danish) Bailiff and Ronald’s American
attorney are in secret contact with each other.
A Danish attorney is appointed to Ronald and Ronald forwards more documents. Kirsten can not be granted safe passage so she hides (with family)
On July 7, she is convicted of child abduction by the
court in Aalborg and it is decided that Christian must be turned over to the
USA.
8 days later, this decision is upheld by the High
Court, Western Division
February 20, 1999 Christian is
abducted by an unknown man and transported, via Prague, to USA. Kirsten has not
seen her son since then.