Faro court today issued a final decision in the long-running case of kidnap victim Ellie Silva whose safety and future has been at stake since her father kidnapped her and then applied for custody pending his trial.
The judge found 100% in favour of Candice Gannon, Ellie’s mother, and awarded her full custody of Ellie while confirming that Candice has done nothing wrong, that the kidnapping of Ellie was totally unjustifiable and ordered that Ellie should be raised by her mother in Ireland.
Candice Gannon will exercise full parental responsibility over all day-to-day issues and will exclusively decide on Ellie’s place of education which will be in Ireland. Ellie may still spend Easter and Summer holidays in the Algarve with her father, assuming he is not in jail for his daughter’s kidnap.
This news comes at the end of six painful years and the decision from the Portuguese court means Ellie can now legally relocate outside Portugal.
The Gannon family have faced constant battles with two trials for custody, a highly publicised kidnapping and decisions from the high court, Supreme Court and constitutional court.
Family life in Dublin beckons and Candice and her husband can celebrate their 4th wedding anniversary in the knowledge that justice has at last been done and Ellie can rejoin her sister Olivia and newborn twin brothers when finally she leaves the hotel room in Funchal, Madeira where she had been ordered to live with her natural father who faces charges relating to her kidnap.
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