UTAHN WILL ASK FOR CUSTODY OF SWEDISH GIRL

The father of a 3-year-old Swedish girl still will ask a federal judge for custody of his daughter even though the girl's mother has left the country with the child.

Sofia Ohlander quietly took Julia Larson, 3, back to Sweden on Tuesday. She left without telling her attorney or the Orem family she was staying with about her plans, said Lloyd Eldredge, attorney for Ohlander.The family has changed its phone number and could not be reached for comment.

Eldredge learned of Ohlander's disappearance when he received a fax from the Swedish government on Wednesday. The fax advised State Department officials of Ohlander's return to Sandviken, Sweden, in violating of a U.S. court order. Swedish officials said they deeply regretted Ohlander's actions, Eldredge said.

Eldredge called Ohlander on Wednesday and urged her to return for the hearing. "She told me her Swedish attorney told her to leave and she didn't want to come back," Eldredge said.

Both the Swedish government and the U.S. State Department are unhappy over Ohlander's actions, said Rodney Snow, attorney for Mark Larson.

"She has flaunted the very authority she used to get her child back," he said. "The people we are working with in the State Department say this has never happened before."

Larson will use Ohlander's unauthorized departure as an additional argument for custody of his daughter. Larson's attorney will file a brief with the court this week arguing for Larson's custody of the child.

"Mark is upset," Snow said. "He complied with international law, and she flaunted it."

"That's a case of the pot calling the kettle black," Eldredge said. Larson flaunted a Swedish divorce decree when he snatched Julia for nine weeks.

Larson took the child Nov. 29 during a visit with the child in Sweden. He brought Julia to Utah where she has been staying with Larson and his new wife, Willa Marie.

Swedish authorities and Interpol promptly issued a warrant for Larson. Ohlander flew to Utah two weeks ago and obtained the court order mandating Julia's return.

Eldredge will also appear at the Feb. 8 hearing, sans his client. He's unhappy with Ohlander, but he doesn't think her departure will hurt her chance of keeping her child.