Pandor Briefed At WEF On Case Of Latvian Mother Who Faces Extradition From Denmark To South Africa

Riyaz Patel

A Latvian mother is facing the prospect of extradition to South Africa from Denmark to face trial after fleeing with her children, prompting questions over whether Latvia has done enough to represent its citizen in a complex international legal wrangle.

Kristīne Misāne formerly had a South African partner with whom she had one of her two children.

They became estranged and most of the time the children lived with her in Mozambique, though the father still had right of access to his child on a regular basis.

She fled with them to Latvia in May 2018. 

In doing so she violated the terms of her husband’s right to see one of her two children and opened herself up to charges of child abduction, forgery and fraud.  

In December 2018, she boarded a flight from Rīga to Mozambique but was detained in transit at Copenhagen airport as South African authorities had put her on their international wanted