PARENTAL CHILD ABDUCTION
G'day folks,
I have mentioned this subject, and also the ICARE Foundation previously. However, with Christmas looming, it is important to spread the word about international child abduction and how it can be prevented. Peter Thomas Senese and the I
CARE Foundation have made a significant contribution in protecting children from
international abduction. Since the I CARE Foundation’s inception, the reported
U.S. outbound child abduction rate has declined 38% since 2009. Under Peter’s
leadership, the I CARE Foundation’s International Travel Child Consent Form has
been called a ground breaking global child abduction prevention tool praised by
the international legal community including the Hague Secretary General. So, please read on, and send this link to any people whom you think could be involved. This does happen. Child abduction causes massive grief to innocent people.
An
abducting parent can use their child as an instrument of REVENGE! Should
this concern us as a society? Most defiinitely! According to a statement
released by the FBI, there is a disturbing trend coming from non-custodial
parents, which is not only the rate at which we are seeing parental
abductions occurring, but the fact that these parents are threatening to harm
their own children all with the intent of revenge against the other parent who
most likely has been given legal custody.
Taking
these facts into consideration, is it any wonder why we say that a parentally
kidnapped child needs to be considered in grave danger… immediately! If
you are unfamiliar with the term “filicide”, it is the deliberate act of a
parent killing his or her own child, and is serious concern when we speak of
international parental child abduction. Dr. Phillip
Resnick, the Director of Forensic Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve
University in Cleveland stated in an article that was published by the Denver
Post a few years ago about parental child killing, “Historically,
one out of 33 homicides is a parent killing a child younger than 18.” Dr.
Resnick, who conducted a study on filicide in 2005 states “Filicide,
the deliberate act of a parent killing his or her own child, is the
third-leading cause of death in American children ages 5 to 14.” As
well in this Denver Post report was that fact that,
“Researchers estimate 250 to 300 children are murdered by their parents each
year in the U.S.”
The fact
is that with the large number of American children being born to unwed parents
today, along with the high rate of marriages ending in divorce, the reality is
that there is an increasing number of cases where a single parent is going to
have custody of the child. The FBI’s statistics show that between the years 2010 and 2012
there was an increase of 41% in child abduction cases that involved custody
matters.
So if we add that to the increased number of those parents seeking retaliation
through harming their own child – again, do we need to be concerned? – you bet
we do!
These
facts all support what the I CARE Foundation has been saying for some
time: Children that are parentally abducted are being murdered.
So, as
parents, what can you do to prevent international parental child abduction?
Well,
here is where it is important to share that we are entering the Christmas
holiday season, which is the time of year where we see a dramatic increase in
the number of international parental child abduction cases, particularly the
week following the holiday. It is imperative that parents are aware not
only of the WARNING SIGNS of international
parental child abduction, but also know what to do if there is
an international parental child abduction is in progress.
Those
families that need to be extra vigilant this holiday season would be those that
are considered to be high-risk for international abduction. This
would include those that are in a high-conflict situation… divorce or
separation with child custody issues… particularly with couples that are in a
cross-cultural relationship (parents born in two different countries).
As well, those in a relationship where one parent has strong
ties to another country and may have limited assets where they are currently
living with the child and the child’s other parent.
The I CARE Foundation’s International
Travel Child Consent Form:
If you
are a parent that has a child traveling internationally, the I CARE Foundation
strongly urges that you utilize our Hague-oriented International
Travel Child Consent Form to protect your child from abduction while
traveling. This ground-breaking travel consent form has been embraced by
the legal community around the world, as well as by key stakeholders in the
area of abduction prevention such as Hague Permanent Bureau Secretary
General Dr. Christophe Bernasconi, who stated,
“I have
had the possibility to look at the travel form and must say that I am
impressed: this is the most comprehensive document of its kind that I have seen
so far and there is little doubt in my mind that this is a most valuable and
important effort to prevent child abduction. I applaud your efforts and wish to
congratulate you and your team . . . It is really impressive to see how quickly
your international travel child consent form has started to yield practical
results and how well you monitor its operation – this really is remarkable.”
If you
happen to be one of those high-risk families – again, one that is involved in a
child custody dispute, separation or divorce, especially if your partner has
ties abroad – you must be proactive in protecting your
children. Often, parents that are involved in international child
custody disputes and who may be targeted for abduction think
that their child is best protected from abduction when there is a court
agreement in place for the child to return if the other parent is granted
travel. The truth is that unless there is an international travel consent
form that has immediate ramifications attached to it, the parent and child
targeted for abduction are at serious risk. The I CARE Foundation’s
International Travel Child Consent Form can help protect a parent and child in
this type of situation.
Currently,
to the best of our knowledge, every child that has traveled under the
protection of the travel consent form has returned home to their country of
origin. With approximately 70% of all international child abduction cases
revolving around wrongful retention, which is the focus of the International
Travel Child Consent Form, if parents and the legal community are aware and
utilizing this document, it can make a tremendous impact in the area of
abduction prevention on a worldwide scale… the fact is, it already has.
Most
recently, in an effort to make the International Travel Child Consent Form even
more effective and accessible, it has been translated into 20 different
languages from around the world with more translations coming soon.
Please click the FURTHER INFORMATION link below to be taken to the official I CARE Foundation websitewhere you can see the
translations that are currently available. If you should have any
questions regarding the form please contact the I CARE Foundation at legal@theicarefoundation.org
Know The Warning Signs of International Parental Child Abduction:
The WARNING SIGNS of international
parental child abduction are evident in the majority of parental child
abduction cases, but many times the targeted parent doesn’t see them until it
is too late. As shared earlier, we see a dramatic increase in the number
of international parental child abduction cases during the Christmas holidays
as many times the would-be-abductor uses a family vacation for the holidays as
a guise for their elaborate scheme to abduct the child from their country
of origin. Planning a family vacation could, in essence, show their
partner that they are willing to work on their relationship despite any
issues that may have happened in the past. This is part of the life of
deceit that a would-be-abducting parent lives… all while scheming how to get
their child abroad.
A common
scenario might go something like this: The would-be-abducting parent
tells his/her partner that they would like to plan a trip to a foreign country…
perhaps their country of origin… maybe to visit a sibling or parents over the
holiday season. Once the family arrives in the foreign country, the
abducting parent might file false allegations of abuse and neglect against
the other parent and then notify the other parent that they and the
child will not be returning back to the country of original jurisdiction.
At this point, the targeted parent, who didn’t suspect any of this, is
generally forced to return back home without their child where they then need
to seek legal assistance.
Being
aware of the warning signs could realistically help protect you and your
child from the cruel and unforgivable world of international child
abduction… a world that no parent or child should ever have to be exposed to.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Clancy's comment: I am always pleased to offer assistance to my good friend, Peter Senese. He has worked diligently on these matters for many years and achieved amazing results. So, I guess the idea is to be aware, be careful and act accordingly. Do not take situations for granted.
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