You mistook my argument somewhat. My point is that these children had their mother ripped away from them - to their own detriment and to hers, according to the court judgment 15 years ago and according to scientific evidence provided she was not abusive - in an illegal act. You have posited that she should not be allowed custody because the daughter doesn’t wish it.
The crime against the mother and the children was severing their relationship involuntarily. This is NOT just a “crime against the court”.
I did not speak to punishment.
If we were talking about 5 and six year olds, I would be pressed to agree. But when we’re talking about teenagers within months of being (the boy about 2 years) full blown adults, I say that, given a different set of circumstances, the input of the children should be solely basis for decision on custody.
However, we no longer have that luxury of going back in time. And we don’t know what either father or mother was like. At one point in time, not long ago, women were virtually the sole recipients of custody, regardless of character.