Canadian father seeks return of daughter after Russian partner allegedly abducts child and flees to Moscow

A Canadian man says his former partner abducted their child and fled to Moscow, triggering an Ontario-wide arrest warrant and a cross-border custody dispute that remains unresolved more than a year later. South Simcoe Police say Tegmina Agadzhanyan, 41, faces charges of abduction in contravention of a custody or parenting order and disobeying a court order, and authorities say she remains in Russia. The case has drawn attention to the difficulties families face when custody and travel laws cross international lines, and it underscores competing narratives about parental rights and the enforceability of orders issued in Canada.

Agadzhanyan and Canadian Mark Whittaker, 51, met on Cupid.com, a popular dating site, and welcomed their daughter Monica in 2023. The couple became engaged and at one point planned to settle in Canada, where their child was born. Whittaker says the relationship deteriorated after a trip to Russia, during which Agadzhanyan said she needed to visit family and never returned to Canada. He portrays the departure as a deliberate separation that left him unable to see his daughter for an extended period.

After the summer trip, Whittaker says Agadzhanyan ended the relationship and quickly moved to obtain a Russian court order for spousal and child support by August of the following year. He claims communication collapsed, with Agadzhanyan stopping calls, ignoring messages, and blocking him as she prepared to stay in Russia. Whittaker says he then began a long, costly effort to bring Monica home, traveling to Russia on multiple occasions in a bid to maintain contact and assert his parental rights. He estimates having spent more than $300,000 on trips and legal efforts, a sum he says reflects the intensity of his fight to reunite with his daughter.

The family’s public narrative showed a different side at times. Agadzhanyan shared photos on social media suggesting a cheerful life in Russia, including posts in which Monica appears with her mother and grandmother during everyday activities. Whittaker says the back-and-forth travels and the time he spent in Russia were marred by what he describes as legal and logistical barriers he could not overcome through Canadian and Russian channels alone. He contends that Russian lawyers have told him there is little to no recourse for parental abduction under Russian law, a point that has fueled his frustration and led him to appeal for intervention from Canadian authorities.

In March, Whittaker says he was finally allowed to see Monica for a few hours, though the meeting carried strict conditions. He describes the experience as deeply emotional and controlled, underscoring the ongoing strain of not being able to share regular custody or care with his daughter. He said that while he had sought to exercise his parental rights in Canada, the measures he pursued relied on Canadian courts and international cooperation rather than unilateral arrangements in other countries. He argued that the legal framework in Russia, where he says the courts may be biased toward the mother in custody disputes, has left him with limited options to compel Monica’s return or establish sustained access.

Authorities in Canada have insisted that the matter is a legal custody dispute governed by Canadian law and international treaty frameworks when applicable. The ongoing investigation into Agadzhanyan notes that she made no attempt to return with the infant, according to South Simcoe Police. In Canada, investigators have charged her with abduction in contravention of a custody or parenting order and disobeying a court order. The police also indicated that the case remains active as they work to locate Agadzhanyan, who has remained in Russia, and to determine how to enforce Canadian court orders across borders.

The reporting has included a window into Monica’s life in Russia, with Agadzhanyan posting content that shows her daughter growing up across a different cultural and linguistic environment. In one recent instance, she shared images from Monica’s first day of kindergarten, portraying a daylight routine that contrasts with the life described by Whittaker, who says he is fighting not only for access but for the chance to be a father in his child’s daily life. The juxtaposition of these accounts illustrates the emotional complexity of cross-border custody cases and the real-world impact on families divided by international borders.

The police have urged patience while legal procedures unfold and have stated that charges remain in place as they pursue efforts to resolve the matter in Canadian courts. In the meantime, Whittaker has renewed appeals for federal assistance to recover Monica and return her to a stable, shared parenting arrangement. He has signaled his intention to travel to Russia for a hearing in the coming days, hoping for a resolution that would reestablish access to his daughter. The case has drawn attention to the challenges of cross-border custody enforcement and to the ways in which different jurisdictions handle parental abduction and custody disputes.

As the investigation continues, the community watches to see how Canadian authorities will coordinate with international partners to ensure the welfare of Monica and to determine whether conditions can be established that allow for regular contact with both parents. The two sides remain locked in a legal and emotional contest over Monica’s future, with the central questions focusing on custody rights, the enforceability of Canadian court orders abroad, and the broader implications for families facing similar situations across borders.

The case underscores ongoing debates about parental abduction, international jurisdiction, and the protection of children in custody disputes that span continents. While Canadian authorities pursue enforcement within Canada and seek cooperation with Russia, Whittaker’s account highlights the human costs of such disputes and the deep desire many parents have to remain connected with their children, even as logistical and legal barriers complicate the path to reunification.