Maryam Ali Abdulhadi, 4, försvann under nyårsfirandet på Gustav Adolfs torg i Malmö och ett stort polispådrag har sedan dess letat efter henne. För mamma Wafaa har de senaste dygnen varit mycket jobbiga.
- Jag kan inte sova. Jag tänker på henne hela tiden och jag gråter mycket, säger hon.

Published by: ABP World Group International Child Recovery Service

Visit our web site at: www.abpworld.com

1. Alteration to Appearance -The abducted child’s appearance is often altered (hair cut and dyed, etc.,).
2. Name Change – The abducted child’s name is often changed, with young children sometimes never knowing their true identity.
3. Loss of true identity – The child is stripped of his true identity. He loses out on the love of his left-behind family and his roots.
4. Health Neglect – The abducted child is often medically & physically neglected as abducting parents have the worry that their child may be discovered to be missing.
5. Unstable Education – Abducted children receive unstable schooling as moves for them are common and getting proper paperwork to schools to enroll your child can be difficult under a new name.
6. Unstable Living Conditions – Abducted children have unstable living conditions as they are on the run from the law, and often end up homeless or moving frequently.
7. Lies and more lies – Abducted children are often told lies about the abduction and the left-behind parent. They can form a false hatred for the left-behind parent and family. Sometimes they are even told the left-behind parent is dead or in jail or doesn’t want them.
8. The Life of Fugitives – Abducted children live the lives of fugitives. They are taught not to trust anyone, not to tell about their past, and live a life on the run. They have no opportunity to establish relationships with friends.
9. Psychological and Emotional Distress – as a result of living life on the run and being subjected to this kind of abuse, the abducted child is subjected to severe psychological and emotional distress which show up for many years to come.

Published by: ABP World Group International Child Recovery Service

Visit our web site at: www.abpworld.com

The Brazil abduction and custody case over 9-year-old Sean Goldman illustrates a growing problem of international child abduction that needs to be addressed with more laws and greater parent precautions, experts tell the Christian Science Monitor. The number of children being abducted from the U.S. and taken abroad has increased dramatically since 2007, say data from the U.S. State Department. More than 1,000 new cases involving 1,615 children abducted from the U.S. by a parent were reported in fiscal 2008, compared with a little over 500 cases involving 821 children in fiscal 2007.

Abductions from other countries also rose, with almost 500 children reported abducted from foreign countries and brought to the U.S. last year. One reason “international child abductions are on the rise is that it is fairly easy to accomplish in the United States,” says Chris Schmidt of the law firm Bryan Cave LLP. “In the United States, one parent can leave the country with a child without the consent of the other parent.” By contrast, many other countries such as China and Argentina require an official document giving permission of the parent who is not traveling before minor children can travel abroad with only one parent. In the Goldman case, Brazil’s chief justice ended a five-year custody battle when he ruled that the boy should be returned to his American father

Link: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2009/1223/Sean-Goldman-case-highlights-rising-international-child-abduction

Published by: ABP World Group International Child Recovery Service

Visit our web site at: www.abpworld.com

By: Samantha Wilson

This is something none of us wants to think about, but, it could happen. About 2,000 children are abducted daily in the US. It is horrific and something no one ever wants to have happen to them. If it does you need to be prepared and move fast to do all you can to get your child back quickly and safely.

1. Step 1

   Don’t panic. You are of no help to the situation if you are a basket case. If ever there was a time to keep your wits about you this is it. Don’t expect the worst but remember the fourteen- to forty-eight-hour life expectancy of the criminally abducted. Atleast drink fluids so you don’t dehydrate and get sick.

2. Step 2

   Search the house thoroughly. Be sure that every possible place is searched and all surrounding areas on your property. Don’t jump to call authorities until you are sure there is a reason to.
   Think back over those hide and seek places and the quiet spots they go to read or hangout alone.

3. Step 3

   You should be aware of who your child’s friends are, what their phone numbers are and where they live. What is your child’s routine? What school activities is he a part of? Question friends as to where your child might have last been seen. And ask if there are new places you are not aware of where your child hangs out. Question the people at this places for possible sightings and any people seen there that seemed unusual.

4. Step 4

   
   

   We all want our children to lead happy lives with nothing to upset that.

   It is a good idea to consider what category your child falls under: runaway, throwaway, parental abduction, or criminal abduction. Did your child runaway? Was he/she ordered to leave the house? Did a parent abduct the child? Or, could the child have been criminally abducted?

5. Step 5

   Has there been any ongoing or newly established situations or changes such as violence, depression, found drug paraphernalia,
   mood changes, possible abuse, grade changes, child’s clothing or favorite belongings missing?

6. Step 6

   Your next move is to call the police. Be sure you can supply a recent picture, what he was wearing, a physical description, any identifying marks such as birth marks and scars, and if you know where your child was last seen or his last known destination.

7. Step 7
   Has your child been unhappy lately?

   Mobilize friends and family and have them network. Time is important. Go door to door in the neighborhood and see if anyone saw anything you are not aware of. Be sure someone is near the main phone at all times. Incoming calls should be kept very brief. Call the telephone company for call forwarding or call waiting services if needed.

8. Step 8

   Have someone call the local radio stations and alert the television stations as well. The local newspaper’s city desk editor can be of help also. Be sure to do these things only when you know
   that your child is in danger. The financial obligations could be overwhelming otherwise.

9. Contact ABP World Group child recovery services

According to an article published by the Daily Telegraph one single father’s group has actually advised their members that due to court closures over the Christmas/New Year period, now would be the ideal time to abduct a child from a custodial parent.
The holiday season sees a sharp rise in the number of parental abductions in Australia.  With emotions running high between separated and divorced parents during the Christmas/New Year period, a small number of parents will take the drastic step of abducting their own children.  Most of these children are eventually recovered, but a small number of parents will experience the agony of never seeing their children again.

According to an article published today by the Daily Telegraph one single father’s group has actually advised their members that due to court closures over the Christmas/New Year period, now would be the ideal time to abduct a child from a custodial parent.  Although the article did not name the group, there are several men’s groups in Australia who have deliberately flouted Family Court rulings in the past.  However, it must be acknowledged that almost half of all parental abductions are perpetrated by women.

ABP World Group Ltd. advises parents to be alert to the threat of parental child abduction over the holiday period.  Statisically, half of all threatened parental child abductions are acted upon, with children aged between 2 and 11 making up the bulk of those affected.  ABP World Group Ltd. assists those whose children have been abducted by the other parent.  You can contact us via our website.

This is an issue close to my heart.  I personally experienced the agony of parental child abduction back in November 1992.  My youngest son was taken by force from my arms when he was just 13 months old.  My then estranged husband (now ex-husband) and his parents were British citizens and I knew they wanted to return to England.  So my greatest fear was that they would take my young son overseas.  Because his father and I had recently separated and there weren’t any custody orders in place at the time, I was told by both the Local Court and the Police that there was nothing they could do.  Thankfully, his father did return about a week later, but for that period of time I didn’t know whether I would ever see my child again.

I cannot adequately describe in words just how it feels to be the parent left behind when your child is abducted.  What I can tell you is that the incident did leave a permanent emotional scar on both myself and my older child who was only 4½ at the time.  I thank God my youngest child was too young to remember the incident.

Statistics of Parental Child Abduction

• Every year 650+ children are abducted by a parent or other family member in Australia.
• 15% of abductions involve the use of physical force or violence.
• 75-85% involve interstate transportation of the child.
• 50% involve failure of a parent to return a child/children after an authorised visit or stay.
• 25% occur before the relationship between the parents ends.
• 50% occur more than 2 years after the relationship between the parents has ended.
• Most (but not all) abductors have a history of violent behaviour, substance abuse, or emotional disturbance.  46% abductors have a criminal record.

Published by: ABP World Group International Child Recovery Service

Visit our web site at: www.abpworld.com

Merry Christmas to all our existing and future clients

We also wish to say Happy New year to all our clients and wish them well in all their efforts in the New Year.

It has been another great year for ABP World Group Ltd. because of our clients and we’re hoping for many more.

We are always available via our 24h emergency phone. for more information, please visit our website www.abpworld.com

Skype: abpworld

MSN : abpworld@hotmail.com

Av:Kjell Schevig, Bortført.no

Norsk presse gir inntrykk av muslimske menn bortfører flest barn, lengre fra sannheten kan man ikke komme. 80 % prosent av kidnappingene begås nemlig av kvinner - hovedsaklig europeiske kvinner fra land som Sverige, Danmark, Polen, Tyskland og Storbritannia.

Nest etter Europa er det Latin-Amerika som importerer flest bortførte barn fra Norge. Bare i Brasil befinner det seg 5 bortførte norske barn, samt to barn i Mexico, ett i Argentina og ett i den Dominikanske republikk. Kvinnene i disse lavkostlandene nyter godt av den sterke norske bidragsvalutaen som Nav sender.

To barn ble bortført fra Bergen til Chile i 2008, men disse er typisk nok ikke registrert i Justisdepartementets statistikk. Les mer om hvordan departementets underrapportering av bortføringer her

Drammenseren David Lindberg fikk sine to barn ble bortført første gang til Brasil i 2003.

Etter fire og et halvt år i Brasil valgte Davids ekskone å gifte seg på nytt med en nordmann og bosette seg i Trøndelag. Således fikk David gjenopprettet samvær med barna sine. Davids datter ønsket etter hvert å bo med sin far og gå 9. klasse i Drammen. Men Davids barn ble bortført på nytt sist sommer. Les mer i Drammens tiendene

Tommy Rune Bless fra Porsgrunn ble frarøvet sine to sønner i høstferien i 2006. Barnefaren har kjempet og presset på gjennom diplomati og domstoler, men så langt uten resultat. Les mer om saken i VG

Published by: ABP World Group International Child Recovery Service

Visit our web site at: www.abpworld.com

December 14, 2009 av SBN Editor

Emma Bolin 7 år och Sammy Bolin 10 år, har kommit hem till pappa Karl-Erik i Onslunda igen efter snart ett år som kidnappade.

De återvände vid midnatt i lördags med ett flyg från Bagdad, Irak och landade på Malmö flygplats. Mamman hade kontaktat en svensk advokat som gjorde en uppgörelse med åklagaren att dra tillbaka häktningsordern så att hon kunde återvända i lugn och ro, vilket var hennes krav för att komma hem. Efter att ha sovit en natt i Sverige med mamma i Malmö så fick Karl-Erik slutligen hämta sina barn efter frukosten i söndags förmiddag.

Barnen Bolin har levt sedan flera år med sin pappa efter att mamman lämnat familjen efter anmälningar om misshandel, både från dagis och skolan, som reagerat på barnens skador och berättelser. Hon fick sedan umgänge med dem några dagar varannan vecka via dom och Karl-Erik har varit tvungen att lämna dem till deras mamma, trots att de inte ville dit och var rädda för henne. En gång tidigare hade de varit med sin mamma i Syrien under 1 månad, gentemot deras egen vilja och Karl-Eriks. Det var en fruktansvärd upplevelse för dem. Emma vaknade ofta och grät på nätterna och de berättade hur de blivit slagna därnere av mamma och mormor. Sammy sade att ”händer det igen så hoppar jag ut genom fönstret”. Barnen var också väldigt sjuka när de kom tillbaka och Emma hamnade på sjukhus med dropp p.g.a. uttorkning.

Les mer her: SBN

Published by: ABP World Group International Child Recovery Service

Visit our web site at: www.abpworld.com

Guarding Against International Parental Child Abduction

By Jeremy D. Morley

Before you move overseas, realize that if you have children in a new country you may find yourself trapped there. An example: Angie the American and Gus the Greek (from Cyprus) moved to Cyprus with their baby. Life in Cyprus didn’t work out for Angie. In fact, she hates it there. But Gus refuses to leave and he refuses to allow Angie to take the baby back to the States to live. Since both Cyprus and the U.S. are parties to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, Angie will be in big trouble if she takes the child back to the States without Gus’ permission. Angie wishes she had consulted an international family lawyer before she moved overseas. Now she’s stuck there.

If you make a deal with your husband or wife that you’re going overseas just for a trial and that you’ll return if it doesn’t work out – Get it in writing. Verbal agreements always seem to be forgotten when things blow up. But also know that even a written agreement may not work. A foreign court handling your child custody case may well that it doesn’t care what your deal with was with the other parent; it must only consider what’s best for the kids.

Before you switch residences, consider how it might impact a possible divorce. An example: Arnie and Alice in America signed a prenuptial agreement before they married. Not only that, but Arnie made pretty sure that it was watertight not only by having it drafted by his own lawyer but also by insisting that Alice have her own independent lawyer, and by putting term sin the agreement that are pretty fair to Alice. Arnie feels secure. Then they move to London, England oblivious of the fact that their prenup may well be unenforceable in a divorce court in England. English courts still hold that prenuptial agreements are against public policy and, while this policy is supposed to be changing, it most certainly hasn’t changed yet. To make matters much worse for Arnie (who had bags of money before the marriage and thought he was fully protected by the prenup), there is no distinction in England between marital property and separate property acquired before the marriage. He could be blowing half of his pre-marriage assets just by moving the family to England.

Before leaving home, you should hope and plan for the very best. But you also need to be prepared for the very worst. So if you are a “trailing spouse,” consider the following:

Don’t sell the house. If you maintain an address in the States it will be easier to claim that you maintained your home as your permanent residence. Certainly it will indicate that it continues to be your “domicile” (the place you live in indefinitely which remains as your domicile even if you move temporarily to another place remains your home. Having a place to return to will also make your case a lot stronger if you need to prove that your kids should be allowed to move “back home.”

Keep your contacts with your job. Prepare for the day when you may want to re-enter the job market back home. Perhaps you can even continue to do some work even while overseas.

Keep your network of friends and family at home.

If you’re overseas and are “planning” to get divorced, be as strategic as possible. Plan your moves. Consult someone who really understands the big picture. Figure out where it’s best for you to be at the time you tell your soon-to-be-ex that it’s all over. You may need to move yourself, the kids, the soon-to-be-ex and the marital assets to another place before you break the news that you want out of the marriage. And don’t leave without the evidence. It’s very frustrating when a client tells me a story of the other spouse’s gruesome physical abuse and shameless hiding of marital assets and when I ask for the evidence I’m told that it was all left behind in the foreign country before the client came back home. Intelligent planning, with strategic professional advice, is the key.

If you’re feeling stuck overseas and have children with you, don’t just bolt for the (airplane) door with the kids and run ‘back home’ to the States. Plan things out first. If you take the kids you may be guilty of international child kidnapping. You could even be arrested at the airport before you leave. If you make it to the States, you’ll probably be forced to return by an American court – and then, to completely add insult to injury, you’ll probably have to pay your spouses’s legal fees and travel expenses as well as your own. When you return your case will be heard in the foreign court, where you will be branded as an international child abductor. Consult knowledgeable international family law counsel sooner, rather than later.

On the other hand, if it’s your spouse who’s feeling unhappy and upset and who may “do a runner” back home, there are lots of things that you should be doing. Some are pretty obvious: Be kind; be understanding; and don’t stay out all night with the guys or gals from the office. Other tips are not so clear, and whether you implement them depends very much on the circumstances. Hide the passports. Befriend her travel agent, who may tell you if she’s making an airline reservation. Consult her friends. Suggest counseling. Have a plan to call the police and alert the border guards if you discover that she has taken the kids.

If you’re overseas and pregnant, and not 1000% confident that you’ll always want to live in the overseas country, consider very seriously getting out of there now. If your baby is born overseas, whether in Sweden or Saudi Arabia, the child’s “habitual residence” for purposes of the Hague Convention will be Sweden or Saudi Arabia – and that can create terrible problems if you want to take your baby “back home.”

Don’t assume that the local authorities won’t help. So many times, expats feel that the local social welfare agencies won’t understand and that they will automatically side with the other spouse who is a citizen. In fact, in many countries the support services are excellent and you should try them. Plus, an American court in a Hague Convention case won’t accept your defense that returning a child to the foreign country will put the child in grave risk of harm unless you can show that the foreign support services are unable to provide the needed protection.

Local divorce lawyers may not be your best bet. They want your business. They have an incentive to encourage you to bring your lawsuit in the place where they practice and they usually don’t know anything about the laws in other places. An international divorce lawyer, who consults with local lawyers as appropriate, can give you much more objective “big-picture” advice.

Published by: ABP World Group International Child Recovery Service

Visit our web site at: www.abpworld.com

Ett paradigmskifte ägde rum nyligen på Nya Zealand när antal besökare till sociala nätverk på webben blev fler än till sökmotorerna. Detta enligt Hitwise. Och precis i enlighet med deras tidigare prognoser.

In New Zealand Social Networking and Forums has surpassed Search Engines in the week ending 5 December 2009. I have been tracking this on a daily basis and over the past 6 weeks Social Networking and Forums had been ahead across the weekends since the weekend of 25 and 26 October, and taking the lead on Fridays since 11 November 2009, skriver Alan Long för Hitwise

Under den senaste 12 månadersperioden har trafiken mätt i antal besökare till sociala nätverk ökat med 30,7% att jämföra med sökmotorernas måttliga ökningar med 3,6%.

December 11, 2009 av SBN Editor

SBN kommer att anordna en lokal insamling för Karl-Erik Bolin i Tomelilla på lördag mellan klockan 10-14. Vi står då på Bo Ohlssons parkering vid första utgången. Vi hoppas att många kommer och skänker en slant till Emma och Sammy och stödjer vår kamp för att få hem barnen igen.

Ni kan läsa mer om barnen Bolin på vår hemsida:

http://www.saknadebarn.se/bortforda-barn/aktuella-fall/emma-sammy-bolin/

Besök SBN: Saknade Barns Nätverk

Published by: ABP World Group International Child Recovery Service

Visit our web site at: www.abpworld.com

Custody battles include disputes over foreign travel

By JEREMY D. MORLEY

How can one parent stop the other parent from taking a child to visit a dangerous country? It’s a question of increasing concern in many custody matters.

The following tips have been developed as a result of handling these issues on a regular basis in collaboration with local family lawyers across the country.

Collect hard evidence of the dangers that the proposed visitation presents. Any parent who opposes overseas visitation, especially to a parent’s country of origin or current domicile, has a heavy burden of proof.

Do not underestimate what you need to do to prove your case. You must go to court with very strong evidence already lined up. You have to be fully prepared to show that there is a very real risk— not simply a suspicion or a fear—that your child will not be returned.

Collect evidence to show the court that there is a real likelihood that the other parent will not return the child. So-called “red flags” include the other parent having: previously abducted or threatened to abduct the child; citizenship in the othercountry and strong emotional or cultural ties to it; no strong ties to the child’s home state; and a history of instability.

Demonstrate respect for the rights of the other parent. While the language of state laws varies—some referring only to the best interests of the child with others including a presumption of joint parenting — American courts invariably encourage and impose shared parenting in one form or another. A parent who inappropriately hinders or obstructs the other parent’s involvement in the child’s life will not be viewed favorably.

Do not rely on a country’s poor reputation for corruption or danger. Do not take it for granted that a court will know that a particular country has an ineffective legal system or that the country is a dangerous place for Westerners. You must present evidence to the court—whether through witnesses or through documents—that will allow the court to make a reasoned conclusion based on real and convincing evidence that the requested visitation should be denied.

Be calm, not hysterical. You may be panic-stricken at the thought of your precious one being taken to another country, but you should not come across as over-the-top. You should be prepared to explain calmly to the court the reasons for your grave concern.

Do not take comfort in the mere fact that the child is being taken to a country that is a party to the Hague Convention. The Convention is a strong international treaty, but countries vary dramatically in their enforcement of it. Countries such as the UK, Australia and New Zealand typically return children promptly and efficiently, but some act much more slowly (Germany and France, for example) and others act at a glacial pace or not at all (e.g., Mexico, Colombia and Austria).

Do not leave it to the last minute to seek legal protection. While the courts can usually make emergency orders, it is far better to prepare and submit a case well in advance of the scheduled departure date. In addition, a judge will be less likely to prevent a trip overseas that has been scheduled for a long time. ■

Published by: ABP World Group International Child Recovery Service

Visit our web site at: www.abpworld.com

On September 1, 2007, the 1980 Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction entered into force between the United States and Ukraine.  The Convention will not apply to parental child abduction cases between the U.S. and Ukraine that took place prior to September 1, 2007.  Wrongful retentions or removals that occurred after September 1 may qualify to be Hague Abduction Convention cases.

The Convention cannot be applied retroactively.  Ukraine’s accession to the treaty is an important step that will improve the possibility of resolving future abduction cases.

In general, the Convention has two main provisions:  to secure the prompt return of children wrongfully removed to or retained in any signatory country; and to ensure that the rights of parents for custody and access to their children under the law of one signatory country are respected in other signatory countries.

Published by: ABP World Group International Child Recovery Service

Visit our web site at: www.abpworld.com

It`s stilll problematic to solve international child abduction cases in Germany

• Germany ratified the Hague Convention in 1990 and it entered into effect for Germany later that year.

• Germany has received extensive international criticism, alleging that German courts were violating their treaty obligations by failing to return children who had been abducted to Germany by German nationals. As a result, Germany enacted procedural reforms in 1999. It is unclear whether these reforms have solved the problem.
• Read more here: www.international-divorce.com

Published by: ABP World Group International Child Recovery Service

Visit our web site at: www.abpworld.com

By:Jeremy D. Morley

COLOMBIA

As in last year’s report, the United States continues to view Colombia as noncompliant in its implementation of the Hague Convention.  Previously mentioned systemic problems, particularly with respect to judicial processing, have persisted.  Court jurisdiction over Hague cases remains unclear in practice, despite a Constitutional Court ruling in 2002 that addressed jurisdiction.  This lack of clarity creates lengthy delays in case processing; in some instances, cases have remained pending for years.  A key component in the effective application of the Convention is courts’ willingness and ability to hear and issue a decision on Convention applications expeditiously.  Delays are also caused when judges routinely order home studies or psychological evaluations.  These inquiries, unless part of a carefully circumscribed inquiry in response to a taking parent’s assertion of an exception to return under the Convention’s Article 13(b), are inappropriate in the context of a Hague proceeding since they tend to go to the merits of custody, and are properly left to the courts of the country of habitual residence.  It does not appear that Colombian judges are receiving specialized training in the Hague Convention.  A review of the Office of Children’s Issues’ records shows that very few abducted children return to the United States from Colombia despite the considerable volume of cases.

Colombian officials have begun to demonstrate a greater openness to discussing outstanding Hague-related problems with the Department of State, Office of Children’s Issues and with U.S. Embassy officials.  In March 2004, U.S. Ambassador Wood discussed abduction issues with Colombia’s President Uribe.  U.S. Embassy officials were actively involved in assisting Central Authority officials and legislators during the drafting of implementing legislation, which would clarify jurisdictional problems by directing Hague cases to the Family Court.  The legislation was passed by the Colombian House of Representatives on December 14, 2004, and must now be passed by the Senate.  U.S. Embassy officers have encouraged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take a more active role in managing interagency procedures in order to facilitate Hague case processing.  Assistant Secretary Harty has twice during the past year relayed our concerns to the Colombian Ambassador here in Washington.

The Colombian Central Authority has become more responsive over the past year to requests for information and in providing assistance in welfare visits, and case processing is becoming more efficient.  However, the procedural issues within the court system discussed above continue to seriously impede case resolution.  We hope that engagement and dialogue between the United States and Colombia continues.

Published by: ABP World Group International Child Recovery Service

Visit our web site at: www.abpworld.com

By: Jeremy D. Morley

International Social Service published a report in February 2005 on international parental child abduction in Australia and called for the establishment of a national support service.

Background

There are approximately 170 reported cases of child abduction both into and out of Australia per year. This critical issue is however, not widely known or publicized throughout the general community. The ISS network comes into contact with an increasing number of cases, due predominantly to more family breakdown and the ease of international travel. The Federal Attorney-General’s Department has recently provided seed funding to enable ISS to undertake a short term research project into International Child Abduction with a central aim of identifying appropriate support models.

The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, of which Australia is a signatory, has as two central aims. Firstly, the restoration of the pre-abduction status quo, and secondly, to deter parents from crossing borders in search of a more sympathetic court. While these aims have significant merit, there is a perception that the Convention, operating within its legal framework, does not always focus on the welfare of the child as the paramount consideration. A key aim of the project is to identify mechanisms, apart from legal ones, which will provide the most effective support and alleviate the trauma, anxiety and powerlessness experienced by the parties.

Currently, families affected by child abduction are directed to the International Family Law Section of the Federal Attorney-General’s Department. The focus of assistance therefore tends to be on the legal and practical aspects of recovering and returning children. Unlike some other countries, Australia does not have a specialized service which is able to provide holistic support to the parties. A key component of the ISS Project is to develop a support service model which would meet the needs of, in the first instance, the left behind parent, but also the child/children and other parent. There are instances where the child has been abducted to Australia and there is a need to support the foreign left-behind parent when visiting Australia for court proceedings, to attempt resolution and to have contact with the child.

The common thread in all these cases is the sense of powerlessness experienced by the left behind parent whose right to access to the child/children often becomes impossible. In these instances, the temptation to resort to drastic steps may become overwhelming.

The overriding concern in any of these cases is to protect the child from harm. Children who have been abducted are often physically and almost always, psychologically harmed by the experience. The children are firstly dealing with the trauma of the breakdown of their parent’s relationship. They are then removed from all or much that is familiar to them. However resilient the child, the experience is confusing, frightening and in the long term, damaging.

ISS Australia is aware from experience that it can be extremely difficult attempting to negotiate the return of a child from a country with law and order issues and political unrest. Even where the courts in these countries vote in favor of the left behind parent, the local authorities do not always cooperate for fear of reprisal.

For further information about child abduction in Australia, including the Convention, state/territory legislation, general information and useful links can be found at the Attorney-General’s website, child abduction section – http://www.ag.gov.au/agd/www/childabduction.nsf .

Published by: ABP World Group International Child Recovery Service

Visit our web site at: www.abpworld.com

December 8, 2009 av SBN Editor

Under oktober-november 2009 så arbetade SBN på ärendet Evelina Oscarsson, en 4-årig flicka som redan varit försvunnen i två månader när vi blev involverade i fallet. Det var Johan Oscarsson, Evelinas pappa, som tog kontakt med SBN, Saknade Barns Nätverk, den 5 oktober 2009, med anledning av att hans lilla dotter var försvunnen sedan två månader. Vi begärde in relevant dokumentation för att kontrollera de uppgifter han lämnat och åtog oss sedan att stödja och hjälpa honom vidare med ärendet, då han var ensam vårdnadshavare och Evelinas mamma egenmäktigt bortfört dottern. Inom några veckor så stärktes misstankarna att Evelina verkligen bortförts utomlands, vilket är det område som vi arbetar mest kring och har störst erfarenhet av, genom vårt långa arbete med just olovligt bortförda barn utomlands. Åklagaren valde, efter många och långa påtryckningar, att slutligen skicka ut en internationell arresteringsorder på Anna Oscarsson, vilket gav polisen i Danmark möjlighet att börja spåra Anna. Hon greps den 11 november i Köpenhamn och Evelina kunde återförenas med sin pappa igen. Allt som allt så varade ärendet cirka 5 veckor hos oss, en tid under vilken vi hade mycket kontakt med Johan Oscarsson, men också med Evelinas momor Eva Helgstrand och även hörde av flera andra personer involverade i konflikten kring Evelina.

Eftersom vi har lång erfarenhet kring vårdnadstvister och den pajkastning som ofta finns mellan parterna, så ställer vi oss alltid neutrala till allt som inte går att styrka. Väldigt snart så bubblade det upp ett stort antal grova anklagelser mot Johan Oscarsson från Evelinas morföräldrar och andra bekanta till dem och Anna. Vid närmare kontroll så fann vi att dessa anklagelser inte alls överensstämde med de dokument som finns belagda i ärendet och dessutom var starkt vridna och överdrivna. Jag talade personligen med Eva Helgstrand, Evelinas mormor, på telefon. Hon verkar väldigt fast i sin grundövertygelse om övergrepp, vilket tyvärr ingav mig känslan att det inte går att resonera kring detta med henne.

Vidare så berättade hon detaljerat om de anklagelser hon har mot Johan och vad han ansågs ha gjort med Evelina.  Dessa anklagelser har hon också skrivit om i otaliga bloggkommentarer och mail, samt sprider vidare på andra bloggar och forum till ivriga lyssnare som utan att ifrågasätta någonting, hejar på det stora drev som bildats på nätet.

Les mer hâr: Saknade Barns Nätverk

Published by: ABP World Group International Child Recovery Service

Visit our web site at: www.abpworld.com

The Philippines is not a party to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, nor are there any international or bilateral treaties in force between the Philippines and the United States dealing with international parental child abduction. Therefore, there is no treaty remedy by which the left behind parent would be able to pursue recovery of the child/ren should they be abducted to or wrongfully retained in the Philippines.

Published by: ABP World Group International Child Recovery Service

Visit our web site at: www.abpworld.com

Absolutely nothing else in this profession is more rewarding than reuniting parents with their runaway or abducted child, especially after working closely with the emotionally crippled families.  It has been our experience that there are five types of missing children cases, all of which are nightmares for families:

• Child abduction by a parent
• Kidnapping and ransom
• Runaway children
• Predator abduction
• Unexplained disappearance

Kidnapping and Ransom
While no longer very common in the US these days, this type of child abduction occurs on an ever-increasing scale in South and Central America.  The targets of these child abduction plots are often US citizens working abroad, and the families sometimes find little or no cooperation from the local authorities in recovering their missing children.  When the embassies get involved, they cannot always achieve quick results due to diplomatic difficulties, so the families must resort to engaging private assistance.  With our law enforcement network and overseas operatives, ABP World Group Ltd. is an effective alternative for recovering missing children.

Runaway, Unexplained Disappearance and Predator Abduction
Those cursed enough to have experienced such a cruel fate can tell of the endless days of footwork – chasing and following up on leads – driven in desperation as they searched for their missing kids.  The amount of exhausting work required in these situations is often more than an entire community can accomplish.  ABP World Group Ltd. works alongside families, communities and local law enforcement to develop and follow up on leads in the fastest manner possible because time must not be wasted.  Through our involvement with ChildShieldUSA.com, we are prepared with a full network of contacts and resources dedicated to the return of missing children.

Parent Abduction of a Child
This form of child abduction occurs at astounding rates, and its most horrifying aspect is that law enforcement chooses to not become involved until a confusing and complicated amount of paperwork is signed by judges.  Meanwhile, the trail of an abducted child grows colder, and the offending parent escapes further and further away, often out of the country.  The involvement of ABP World Group Ltd. in such child abduction scenarios can take many forms, but it is strongly recommended that we begin work as soon as possible in order to track the child and treacherous parent before the clues vanish while the courts drag their feet.  We can then be in position to recover the child as soon as legal or diplomatic circumstances permit.

Published by: ABP World Group International Child Recovery Service

Visit our web site at: www.abpworld.com

By: Jake Morphonios

Parental child abduction is the unlawful kidnapping of a child by one parent which deprives the other parent of his or her lawful custodial rights. This kind of child snatching not only victimizes the other parent, but it is also a serious form of child abuse.

When the abducting parent chooses to go underground or flees the state or country, recovery of the child becomes exceptionally difficult – and sometimes impossible. Because of this, if you suspect that your child is at risk of abduction you must act now. There are steps you can take to reduce the risk of abduction, as well as actions designed to make the recovery of your child far more likely.

It takes time, time that you don’t have, to assemble sufficient documentation to provide to authorities following the abduction of your child. To complicate matters, should your child be kidnapped you will most certainly not be in a calm state of mind.  Focusing well enough to collect necessary materials will be difficult.  Therefore, preassemble two sets of the following documents:

On the Children

• Several recent color photos of each of your children
• Two sets of your children’s fingerprints
• A list of your children’s social security numbers
• Copies of medical insurance cards
• A list of the child’s scars or other distinguishing physical marks
• Any passport numbers or drivers license numbers
• A list of your children’s bank account numbers
• A copy of any court order regarding child custody
• All your child’s email addresses or networking sites such as MySpace
• Your children’s cell phone number(s)

On the Other Parent

• Several recent color photos of the other parent or potential family abductor
• A list of the other parent’s scars or other distinguishing physical marks
• Two sets of the other parent’s fingerprints, if available
• Any passport or drivers license numbers
• A list of the other parent’s email addresses or social networking sites such as MySpace
• The other parent’s telephone number(s) and all known addresses
• The names and contact information of the other parent’s close friends and family
• A list of all credit cards, bank accounts or other financial data
• Car information including, registrations, serial numbers makes, models, descriptions
• A list of any bank or retirement accounts, negotiable instruments and brokerage accounts
• A list of any other assets which could quickly be liquidated for cash

The purpose in creating two sets of materials is so that the materials can be kept in two separate “safe” spots. If the abductor takes your set from your home, you will still be able to obtain the other set. Leave this other set somewhere you can access quickly, such as in the home of a local family member or friend. Do not leave the information in a safe deposit box because if the abduction takes place after banking hours you won’t be able to obtain your file.

Should your child be kidnapped, it is vital to quickly locate their whereabouts. Having materials gathered and well-organized will assist both you and the authorities in launching a quick and effective search for your children.

Published by: ABP World Group International Child Recovery Service

Visit our web site at: www.abpworld.com

ABP International Child Recovery Service

The goal of Abp World Group international child recovery services is to locate, negotiate and recover your missing child.
We can dispatch personnel to most locations in the world; we specialize in locating missing children up to ages 18.

Areas of expertise: Parental abduction, Missing children, Kidnappings,
Runaway children and Counselling.

Unfortunately in this day and time parental kidnapping happens and we are here to help you trough this difficult period.
We are aware parental child abduction can be difficult to resolve, but we use professional operatives with the skills and expertise to help find a resolution.

One key to Abp World Group`s successful recovery and re-unification of your loved one is to use all necessary means available including:

Intelligence Gathering
Information Specialists/Skip Tracing
Evidence Procurement
Interview/Evaluation
Surveillance Special Ops
Non-Combatant Evacuation Ops
Domestic Support
International Operations
Maritime/Land/Air transport

Before you hire an organisation, always ask for real references. If they cannot provide you with names and telephone numbers, then proceed with caution! We are one of the very few organisations that can succesfully recover internationally abducted children. In due time, upon your request, we can bring you in contact with a couple of our past clients.

by Kendra Inman

parental child abduction | help and info

When relationships break down, a minority of parents cannot face the prospect of living apart from their child or even of sharing the care of the children with their ex-partner. Occasionally, a parent will decide to take the law into their own hands and bring their children to live with them without the permission of the other parent or the courts – an act called parental child abduction.

It can occur whether or not the parents are separated or divorced and sometimes even regardless of the existence of court orders. Abducting a child – also called kidnapping – is a criminal as well as a civil offence, although the criminal law is hardly ever invoked and it is left to the parent who has lost the child to use the civil courts to get the child back. Even then this will be a steeply uphill task – though prevention is slightly easier than cure.

Anecdotal evidence suggests parental child abduction is increasingly common, says Denise Carter, director of Reunite, a campaigning charity set up to help parents whose children have been abducted or who are involved in international custody disputes.

home alone

Whatever the reason for the snatch, losing a child through abduction is a traumatic experience, says Ms Carter.

Parents react differently, she says. Some are incredibly strong and focused on getting their child back. Others can become severely depressed from their loss and turn their anger and upset inward against themselves.

Reunite can help parents refocus their energies into more positive action.

‘We encourage them to do one proactive thing a day such as dig out photographs or make a call.’

children’s rights

How much a child is affected by abduction varies with each case, the place and country that they’re taken to and how they are now being brought up by the parent who snatched them.

Where and how they’ve been living is often more important than how long they’ve been away from the parent with custody they’ve been snatched from, she explains.

A British child taken to an English-speaking country may be less disturbed by the experience than a child taken to a country where there are significant language and cultural differences. In other words, if the environment feels more familiar to them they will be better able to adjust.

On the downside, factors such as high conflict between the parents and the breaking of other important ties and connections will have a detrimental impact on the child.

against the clock

A parent whose child has been snatched has to face the fact that time is running against them. If their child has recently been abducted the courts are likely to work to restore the ’status quo’ and send the child back home as quickly as possible.

But the longer the child is away there is a danger that the ’status quo’ from the child’s point of view will switch to the abducting parent’s home.

‘If a child has been away for a long time, such as two years, the court might need to question whether it is in the best interests of that child to bring them back,’ says Ms Carter. The paramount consideration for the courts here will be the welfare of the child and it will focus on the child’s best interests rather than the war between the parents.

out of reach

‘International child abduction is a growing problem globally, but particularly from the UK,’ she says.

Reasons behind this increase include greater numbers of relationships between partners of different nationalities and easier and cheaper travel facilities.

Statistics taken from the Reunite advice line suggest that child abduction across an international barrier has increased by 87% since 1995. The Child Abduction Unit, part of the Lord Chancellor’s Department which deals with abductions to countries signed up to one of two international agreements, says it deals with over 500 children annually. Recently Reunite has noticed an increase in abductions by British women who marry a foreign national and bring their children home to the UK when the marriage goes wrong.

international agreements – help under the civil law

Two international conventions, The Hague Convention and the European Convention, became law here from 1985. The two-fold purposes of each Convention are to secure the immediate return of a child to his or her own country of habitual residence and to ensure that international disputes over access are dealt with by the country of origin.

Both Conventions actively discourage the courts from looking at the merits of the case except in certain very restricted circumstances – they are there to ensure the children are returned home.

Countries that are signatories agree to follow a set protocol. Under the Hague Convention children must be returned to the country of ‘habitual residence’ if they have been wrongfully removed or access and custody rights breached. The European Convention covers most European states, whilst the net of the Hague Convention spreads more widely across the world. To make an application under the Conventions both countries must be signatories. Parents whose children have been abducted from England and Wales to a country that has signed the Hague Convention can apply for help through the Lord Chancellors Department Child Abduction Unit who will help them complete a questionnaire and process the application to the signatory country where the child is now living. The court authorities in Scotland and Northern Ireland provide similar help.

legal hurdles

How long it will take to deal with the application for return will depend on the country concerned, the circumstances of the case and indeed whether the child can be traced. The average length of time is five to six months, but children abducted to New Zealand or Scandinavia for example can be returned within a month.

Tracing a child overseas is fraught with difficulties, says Ms Carter.

‘If a child is abducted and brought to the UK, the parent who seeks to get the child returned home may be able to get legal aid. If a child is abducted and taken to a country where there is no legal aid the parent in pursuit will need to find a ‘pro bono’ lawyer (one that works in a scheme that offers free legal advice) if they can’t afford the legal fees themselves.

‘You may get a fantastic lawyer or you may not. How much help you get varies with the country,’ she says.

The Child Abduction Unit can provide parents with information about legal costs in specific countries.

outside the Conventions

The Conventions are only valid in countries that have signed up to them. If a child is moved to a country which isn’t a signatory, wronged parents have no legal remedy in this country to secure the child’s return. Their only option is to travel to the foreign country to start off proceedings for the child’s return in that jurisdiction. Inevitably this will be very time consuming and expensive and sadly success is far from guaranteed.

Depending on the laws of the country concerned, the courts might well make decisions in favour of abducting parents. Where there are no international agreements, parents need to contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for advice on how to proceed. This office can provide a list of local lawyers who correspond in English, approach local authorities for help in tracing the child’s whereabouts and provide informal help locally.

The office is also involved in discussions with non-convention countries to give practical support such as visiting rights to UK parents.

the power of the press

Sometimes using the media to publicise a case can yield results. In one case a child was abducted from the US and brought to the UK. The child was poorly and it was important that he attended hospital.

‘We knew they were in the UK but we had no other leads on the case at all,’ says Ms Carter. The organisation turned to the TV for help and after a couple of broadcasts the child was found.

But each case is unique and in some abduction cases seeking publicity is the worst thing you can do.

‘Sometimes you have to be quiet and lull the errant parent into a false sense of security.’

worried about abduction?

Reunite runs an advice line and publishes information packs about preventing abduction and how to proceed if the worst has happened.

The charity has this advice for parents who suspect their former partner will attempt to abduct their child.

• Seek immediate advice from a family lawyer. You may need to get a court order – like a residence order under the Children Act 1989, which determines which parent will primarily look after a child and should also to stop your child being taken out of the country without your prior permission.
• Write to the UK Passport Service and ask them not to grant your child a passport without your permission (this is only possible where you have got an order from the court in certain circumstances). But the Passport Office has no power to ask for a passport to be surrendered if it has already been issued.
• Contact the police. If they are convinced there is a real threat they can issue a ‘port alert’ to alert possible points of departure in the UK. How effective a port alert will be depends a lot on how much information you can supply them with – make sure that you have available a recent photo of your child and the other parent which can be circulated and if you have details of which port – airport or sea port for example – your child is likely to travel through, that will help the police focus their efforts.
• Get a child abduction prevention pack from Reunite

Published by: ABP World Group International Child Recovery Service

Visit our web site at: www.abpworld.com

By:International Rights of Children Society

The following recommendations are based on personal experience and advice given to members of IROCS. We are not lawyers. If you are worried that your child is in danger of being abducted overseas it is essential that you seek legal advice immediately.

If your children leave Canada, neither Canadian law nor international agreements can guarantee their return. However, refusing to allow your children to travel outside of Canada could deny them important opportunities to build relationships with their extended family and gain knowledge of their heritage. Consequently, parents may find themselves in a position where they are sending their children to another country with someone they suspect may not intend to return to Canada. The age of your children is an important factor that you should consider before providing your consent for them to travel abroad. As infants, they are at the mercy of their surroundings.

Before your children leave on a trip to a country which is not signatory the Hague Convention on the Civil aspects of International Child Abduction or has a history of non-compliance with the provisions of that convention ensure that there is a court order or notarized letter specifying the exact destination, the purpose of the trip, and the departure and return dates. Without a specific return date confirming the intent of the trip, a criminal investigation might conclude that no criminal charges of parental child abduction can be laid in Canada. The Government of Canada has produced an example of a consent letter www.voyage.gc.ca/main/before/consent_letter-en.asp

You might also wish to consider having the taking-parent undertake the necessary legal steps to have the Canadian Court Order recognised in the jurisdiction of the destination country. The local law enforcement will only assist if there is a local court order directing them to do so.

In addition, write up a separate agreement stating that the left-behind parent is authorized to bring the children back to Canada should they overstay the return date specified in the court order governing the trip. The document should also grant the left-behind parent power to obtain emergency travel documents without the signature of the other parent. Otherwise, the abducting parent could block the children’s return to Canada by refusing to turn over the children’s passport. Have the document signed by both parents, notarized, translated into the language of the destination country and authenticated by the embassy of the destination country prior to the children’s departure. Remember this agreement is to be kept by the left-behind parent.

As an added suggestion, there is nothing preventing you from entering into a private agreement with the taking-parent outlining consequences of non compliance of the initial agreement outlining the parameters of the international trip. In some cases, IROCS has seen a bond or the deed of the home, vehicle, etc. of the taking-parent as a “guarantee” of compliance with the initial agreement. This private agreement can be brokered by your respective legal representatives.

If you have the financial means, you may wish to consider travelling to the destination country and escorting your children back to Canada at the agreed upon date. Should the taking-parent not comply with the initial agreement, you will have in hand the Canadian Court Order already recognised in the local jurisdiction and the notarised letter giving you the taking-parent’s consent to return to Canada with the children.

There are no guarantees in any of this. Even if you took all of the above precautions you could still find yourself entangled in a protracted legal battle in a foreign jurisdiction while your children were being denied access to you and their home and family in Canada. Consequently, before they leave, you might wish to teach your children how to make an international collect call and instruct them to retain their travel documents and return tickets if at all possible. Ensure they have an email address and know yours, know their home phone number and address, and know how to contact and, if possible, travel to the nearest Canadian consulate or embassy. Note: this advices can also be used of citizens of other countries.) ABP World Group Ltd.

Published by: ABP World Group International Child Recovery Service

Visit our web site at: www.abpworld.com