Legal and Diplomatic Response to the International Abduction of American Children (From Crime and Its Victims: International Research and Public Policy Issues, P 127-134, 1989, Emilio C Viano, ed. -- See NCJ-119600)

• NCJ Number: 119612
• Author(s): M W Agopian
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 8 pages
• Sale Source: Hemisphere Publishing Corp
• Publication Type: Best Practice/State-of-the-Art Review
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

International child abduction by a parent is usually a manifestation of an unusual and complex family tragedy. This final effort of a desperate and determined parent to retain possession of a child may be due to the desire of a foreign-born spouse to reside in the country of origin, an opportunity to gain a legal advantage in a foreign court, and the judicial bias of awarding custody to mothers in the U.S.

Abstract

A significant concern in cases of international child abduction perpetrated by parents is the welfare of the victims. For some children, travel to a new country brings with it painful and unpleasant experiences. They have to adopt to a new language, and they lose contact with family and friends. The motivations of offenders and the degree of injury victims experience are only two of the many complex dynamics within this complex family crime. Yet it appears that these two areas more than any others propel the search for a remedy to the international abduction of children by parents. 2 tables and bibliography