Child Abduction Prevention

Child abduction is a parent’s worst nightmare.  Imagine returning home where all your children’s possessions remain but your children are gone.  In an instant your whole world collapses. You will find yourself in a state of constant panic. Emotionally traumatised, you will then have to cope with the daunting practical obstacles of knowing where to find help, dealing with unfamiliar legal systems and the enormous financial cost of pursuing justice. You must protect yourself and spare your children the trauma of abduction.

If you have suspicions or evidence that the other parent is planning to take your child to another country without your permission; or if you are worried about letting your child visit another country for fear that he /she will not be returned, you must take some precautions.

Make sure you have the following information available:

• A written description of your child including hair and eye colour, height, weight, fingerprints, and any defining characteristics
• Your child’s date of birth, passport details, and a current photograph
• Information about the other parent including: physical description, fingerprints, passport details, bank account details, driver's licence number, and a recent photograph
• List of addresses and telephone numbers of the other parent’s relatives, friends, and business associates abroad

Do the following things:

• Contact one of your national organisations or helplines
• Teach your child to use a public telephone and a mobile in an emergency
• Have your child finger-printed
• Get copies of any existing court orders
• Call your country’s passport office to find out whether they can refuse to grant your child a passport

If the risk is imminent:

• Go to your local police and explain the situation
• Ask the police to circulate an “All Ports Warning” and put your child on the ‘child abduction list’
• If your local police are not responsive, insist on speaking to a Senior Officer
• Call your solicitor and arrange for a court order preventing the removal of your child from the UK (A "passport" and "Tipstaff" order)
• If your child does not have a passport or is not included in the passport of the other parent, you can ask the Passport Office to make a “Residence Order” under Section 8 of the Child Act, 1989
• If your child has a passport or is mentioned in the other parent’s passport, ask your solicitor to apply for the passport to be surrendered
• If your child has dual nationality or you fear that the other parent will apply for a second passport, you must contact the embassy of the country to which your child may be abducted to and ask if the would-be abductor’s passport can be revoked

In the US, there are numerous safeguards and preventions which have been set forth to protect children before, during and after an abduction such as the Children’s Passport Issuance Alert Program which allows parents to register their US citizen children under age 18 in a lookout system.  If a passport application is made, the Department will alert the parent and thus give advance warning of plans being made to abduct the child.  In certain states (notably California and Texas) judges are authorized to issue prevention orders in the custody order specifically preventing the removal of the child from that state. With such a prevention order in place, if a removal seems imminent, the court can be requested to issue a pickup order to keep the child safely within the United States. For more information click here.

.	Keep a record of everything that takes place. This may be vital when your case comes to court. ‘My Diary’ provides you with suggested record-keeping information (PDF,Acrobat Reader required).