This is the moment when four-year-old Marie Eleni Grimsrud jumps into her mother’s arms for the warmest hug of all.
Marie Eleni was reunited with her Cypriot mother after she was abducted by her Norwegian father last April in Nicosia, following a custody battle between her parents.
Her mom flew to Oslo to bring her daughter back to Cyprus, just a day after Marie Eleni was handed over by her father to authorities in Norway.
The whereabouts of the father Torkel Grimsrund and Marie Eleni had been unknown since the abduction. A European and international arrest warrant was issued for Grimsrud in May.
A Cyprus police spokesman said the positive outcome was due to the close co-operation of the two countries.
He added that it is not yet clear whether the girl’s father will appear before a court in Norway or Cyprus, but noted that the investigation is still ongoing.
President Nicos Anastasiades posted on Facebook that he is delighted to see a happy ending to this story.
He congratulated all those who contributed to the happy ending, particularly the Cyprus police for its discreet and effective cooperation with the Norwegian authorities.
“I hope other cases of children who have been lost or abducted and have no contact with their family anymore will have the same beautiful ending,” Anastasiades concluded.
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