Law Enforcement Guide on International Parental Kidnapping

• NCJ Number: 194639
• Date Published: October 2002
• Length: 116 pages
• Grant Number(s): 98-MC-CX-K010
• Agencies: OJJDP
• Publication Type: Instructional Material

Annotation

Intended as a companion guide to "A Family Resource Guide on International Parental Kidnapping," this guide provides law enforcement officers and agencies with the information they need to work effectively with custodial parents to locate and reclaim children who have been abducted by non-custodial parents and taken to another country.

Abstract

The guide is intended for use by local, State, and Federal law enforcement officers assigned to respond to cases of international parental kidnapping. It suggests ways to prevent international abductions; discusses applicable laws, legal remedies, and potential liabilities; describes the role of law enforcement agencies as the initial responders and investigators; and recommends strategies for extradition, reunification, recovery, and extradition. The guide first puts the issue in perspective by identifying the detrimental effects of parental kidnapping on the children involved; by providing a statistical overview of its prevalence; by profiling abductors; and discussing motivations for such abductions, prevention measures, criminal and civil remedies, and passports and complications of dual nationality. Separate chapters detail strategies for preventing international abduction of children, the initial response, and the continuing investigation. A chapter explains how to access various Federal and State resources that can assist in the investigation of cases of international parental kidnapping. Remaining chapters provide details on criminal prosecution and extradition of offenders, mechanisms for recovering the child victim, the planning and implementation of child recovery and reunification with the custodial parent, and law enforcement liability concerns. 20 references, 11 recommended readings, and appended case information checklist, Hague Convention partners, parental kidnapping laws in brief, a directory of contacts, and sample INTERPOL diffusion