Canadian father seeks help as Russian partner abducts daughter and flees to Moscow
Ontario police issue arrest warrant; father seeks return of Monica as custody dispute unfolds across continents
A Canadian father says his two year old daughter Monica was taken to Russia by her mother and has not returned. South Simcoe Police Service issued an Ontario wide arrest warrant for Tegmina Agadzhanyan on charges of abduction in contravention of a custody order and disobeying a court order, authorities said.
Monica was born in 2023 after her parents connected on Cupid.com, and they became engaged with plans to settle in Canada where the child was born. The couple appeared to lead a happy life until the summer after Monica was born, when Agadzhanyan said she needed to visit family in Russia and did not return.
Whittaker, a 51 year old Canadian, says he has spent more than $300,000 on seven trips to Russia in a bid to see Monica and bring her home. He says Russian lawyers have told him that parental abduction is not a crime under Russian law and that custody outcomes often favor the mother.
In the months that followed, Whittaker says Agadzhanyan ended their relationship and quickly obtained a Russian court order for spousal and child support by August. He says the split left him unable to communicate with Monica and that contact has been limited.
Whittaker notes that he did obtain a Canadian court order this year seeking the return of his daughter, but he says the order has not produced results. He has continued to insist that Monica belongs with him in Canada.
Public posts on Agadzhanyan’s social media show Monica in Russia, including photographs at kindergarten with her grandmother. Whittaker says the images illustrate that Monica is being kept in Russia and that he is being kept away from his daughter.
Authorities in Canada say the investigation into Agadzhanyan is ongoing and that she made no apparent attempt to return with the infant. An Ontario wide arrest warrant remains in effect as the case moves through the court system. A Canadian court order for Monica’s return has not yet been enforced, according to Whittaker.
Whittaker says he plans to travel to Russia for a hearing next week and has urged federal officials to intervene, describing his year long ordeal as a nightmare. He says he wants to bring Monica home and to have the case resolved in a manner that protects her best interests.