By Kate Banerjee , Head of Jones Myers Children’s Department

Extensive studies and statistics highlight that cases of child abduction increase during the summer.

The psychological impact on children can be devastating and long-lasting – and it is vital to obtain the permission of everyone with parental responsibility for a child before taking them abroad.

Every year there are around 1,000 cases of British children under the age of sixteen being taken abroad by one parent without the other parent’s permission. This is a criminal offence if the offending parent has not obtained a Court’s permission.   

Many cases see children whisked away to countries that are not a signatory of the Hague Convention on International child abduction, an international agreement made in 1980.

Non-signatories of the Hague Convention extend to over sixty countries where there are no international systems to help parents find their children. They include Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Saudia Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Zimbabwe.

Tell-tale signs

• Behavioural changes/deteriorating relationship between parents
• Leaving a job
• Selling a house
• Seeking a copy of a child’s birth certificate
• Trying to obtain a child’s passport
• Increased contact with family or friends overseas
• Wanting to take a child away without the other parent

Preventative steps

• Apply to the Court for a Prohibited Steps Order (PSO) preventing either parent from taking their children to events/trips without the express permission of the other parent
• Apply for a Child Arrangements Order which clearly sets out the ‘custody rights’ each parent should be exercising. In cases where an abduction occurs, it demonstrates an infringement of custody rights  
• Ensure that parental contact is supervised or, in extreme cases, stopped altogether
• Keep passports safe – an option is for a solicitor to hold them
• Ask the Passport Agency  to block the other parent from applying for a new passport
• In term time, ensure the school know exactly who is allowed to collect your child from school

If you receive a threat of child abduction or if your child has been abducted:

• Contact the police immediately. They can issue alerts to airports/ferry terminals and liaise with Interpol who may be able to work with police forces abroad to help find your child
• Give the police recent photos of your child and the other parent, together with details of the airport or destination you think they may be heading
• Contact Reunite, a UK charity specialising in parental child abduction which operates a 24 hour emergency helpline
• Seek legal advice immediately

Guiding you through this complex process

Jones Myers is recognised nationally and internationally for managing cases of parental child abduction.

This includes children being wrongfully removed from England & Wales and unlawfully retained in a different jurisdiction – or being abducted from another jurisdiction to England & Wales and illegally retained.

Our consistently high success rate spans countries both inside and outside of the Hague Convention. We are highly experienced in liaising with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Home Office along with officials, police forces and politicians at the highest level at home and overseas.

Helpful websites include International parental child abduction – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and Reunite | International Child Abduction Centre | Child Abduction Charity

For queries on international child abduction or any aspect of family law, call us at Leeds on 0113 246 0055, Harrogate on 01423 276104, or York on 01904 202550. Visit www.jonesmyers.co.uk, email info@jonesmyers.co.uk or tweet us @helpwithdivorce

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Image by David Reed at Pixabay

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