Family Resource Guide on International Parental Kidnapping

• NCJ Number: 190448
• Date Published: February 2002
• Length: 139 pages
• Grant Number(s): 98-MC-CX-K010
• Agencies: OJJDP-Sponsored; OJJDP
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)

Annotation

This guidebook offers assessments of available civil and criminal remedies, explains laws, identifies public and private resources, and identifies strategies for parents of abducted children taken to or retained in foreign countries.

Abstract

The emotional, legal, and financial difficulties resulting from an abduction of a child can be among the hardest challenges a parent will ever encounter. These hardships can be particularly overwhelming for parents whose children are taken to or retained in foreign countries. A swift and informed response is often difficult given the complex nature of international abductions. Unfamiliar languages and laws, along with the psychological and physical distance of the separation, can frustrate recovery efforts. However, it is crucial that victims remain optimistic. Family members can respond in a hopeful, informed, and resolute fashion and marshal an effective recovery plan. This guide describes ways to prevent an international parental kidnapping (Chapter 1), stop a kidnapping in progress (Chapter 2), and locate a kidnapped or wrongfully retained child in another country (Chapter 3). Bringing an abductor to justice is discussed in Chapter 4, along with the civil aspects of international parental kidnapping and the Hague Convention. It lists specific countries that the United States has cited for not complying with the Hague Convention and identifies other countries with legal, social welfare, or religious systems that may prevent the return of an abducted or retained child. Chapter 5 explains the criminal aspects of international parental kidnapping. Chapter 6 describes other resources that may be instrumental in resolving a case, including the media, diplomatic and congressional or other political interventions, human rights laws and organizations, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Chapter 7 focuses on the legal, psychological, and practical issues surrounding a child’s reunification with the left-behind parent and family. Index