In many cases, parents pretend they are going on holiday with their child to their country of origin and then fail to return.
However, it is common for parents not to realise that they have potentially committed a child abduction offence. Research recently commissioned by the FCO showed that a third of people were unaware that taking a child abroad without the permission of the other parent can constitute an offence. Worringly, the FCO's child abduction section handled over 200 new cases between April 2009 and March 2010, often involving countries that have not ratified the Hague Convention 1980, and where parents can face great difficulties getting their children returned. There was a 39% increase in cases of British children being abducted to non-Hague countries including Pakistan, India, Thailand, Nigeria and Ghana.
If you are worried that your child may be abducted overseas, you should:
- Seek specialist legal advice and consider applying for a Prohibited Steps Order prohibiting your child from being taken out of the UK
- In the event of an imminent abduction (in the next 24-48hours), consider contacting the police who may be able to issue an "All Ports Alert" to try to prevent a child from leaving the UK. The police in England and Wales do not need a court order before doing this; police in Scotland will need a court order
- Ensure that you keep your child's passport in a safe place and contact the Identity and Passport Service (and relevant embassy if your child has dual nationality) to request that another passport is not issued without your permission.
The Child Abduction Section at the FCO and the charity Reunite can also provide information on preventing an abduction from happening in the first place or can help to resolve disputes if a child has already been taken overseas.
Nicola Rowlings