Report to the Attorney General on International Parental Kidnapping

• NCJ Number: 189382
• Date Published: April 1999
• Length: 47 pages
• Agencies: OJJDP
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis

Annotation

This report describes current Federal responses to international parental kidnapping, describes shortcomings in the current responses, and makes recommendations to close the gaps and more effectively engage the many agencies to improve the Federal responses to international child abduction cases.

Abstract

The committee that produced the report included representatives of the Departments of Justice and State and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The analysis distinguished between civil remedies to recover children and criminal mechanisms to bring abductors to justice and noted problems with existing law and practice. The analysis revealed that Federal policy and practice in this area have evolved significantly in the last 20 years in tandem with changes nationwide at the State level. However, the current responses can improve, particularly in the areas of prevention, training, and education of parents and all who address these cases; technical and case coordination; and international outreach. The recommendation actions covered nine areas. These included establishing a more informative and coordinated Federal response to international parental kidnapping, developing a comprehensive statistical database on international parental kidnapping cases, and expanding diplomatic efforts to resolve international parental kidnapping cases and educate the public about them. Additional recommendations included improving the implementation of the Hague convention and seeking solutions to problems of parental access at an international level, promoting better use of the National Crime Information Center and INTERPOL to stop abductions in progress and to locate abducted children and abductors. Further recommendations focused on passport issuance; specialized training for border inspectors; education, training, and other assistance; and resources to assist left-behind parents. Appended list of members of the interagency working group