Thursday, December 11, 2014

Como prevenir o rapto internacional de crianças Parental Quando viajar para Portugal

Pais com crianças em viagem internacional deve usar International Travel Criança O Termo de Consentimento Livre I CARE Foundation prevenir crianças vítimas de rapto

O Formulário de Consentimento para Viagem Internacional Infantil da Fundação I CARE© disponível em Português

O Formulário de Consentimento para Viagem Internacional Infantil da Fundação I CARE criado para impedir o sequestro parental internacional de crianças associado com a retenção ilegal de uma criança por um dos genitores em um país estrangeiro agora está disponível em português.  O formulário de viagem aborda importantes questões jurídicas baseadas na Convenção de Haia de 1980 sobre Sequestro Infantil e proporciona a tribunais em todo o mundo encarregados de supervisionar potenciais casos de sequestro parental internacional de crianças ligados a países de língua portuguesa um tribunal exclusivo e bem estabelecido globalmente implementando uma ferramenta de prevenção de sequestro que é amplamente apoiada por comunidades jurídicas, diplomáticas e judiciais internacionais familiarizadas com o sequestro parental internacional de crianças.
Um extenso estudo da Fundação I CARE realizado durante o verão de 2014 pesquisou centenas de advogados e juízes em todo o mundo profundamente familiarizados com sequestro parental internacional de crianças. Os resultados do estudo mostraram que mais de 70% de todos os sequestros internacionais de crianças por seus genitores entre as noventa e quatro nações membros signatárias da Convenção de Haia de 1980 sobre Sequestro Infantil ocorrem quando um dos genitores retém ilegalmente uma criança no exterior sem o consentimento do outro genitor da criança ou sem uma ordem judicial, violando o direito de custódia do outro genitor e o direito da criança ao genitor escolhido. A pesquisa também concluiu que na esmagadora maioria dos casos da Convenção de Haia de 1980 sobre Sequestro Infantil ligados à retenção ilegal, o genitor sequestrador frequentemente utiliza as defesas de sequestro disponíveis ao mesmo ao abrigo do Artigo 12 e do Artigo 13 da Convenção de Haia, na esperança de que o tribunal sediado no país onde a criança foi ilegalmente retida sancione sua ação de não retornar a criança ao seu país de jurisdição original.
Conforme demonstrado pelo grande número de casos de viagens infantis internacionais realizadas em que o formulário de viagem da Fundação I CARE foi utilizando com êxito, continuamos a testemunhar o importante papel que um formulário de consentimento de viagens baseado na Convenção de Haia tem no teatro global de prevenção de sequestros internacionais de crianças. Continuamos bastante otimistas de que a taxa global de sequestro parental internacional diminuirá substancialmente devido à utilização de formulários de consentimento de viagens baseados na Convenção de Haia. Nossa pesquisa substancial indica que mais de 70% de todos os sequestros internacionais de crianças ocorrem quando uma criança é ilegalmente retida no exterior – o exato cenário de sequestro parental contra o qual o nosso formulário de viagem protege com sucesso.
A criação e utilização de nosso formulário de consentimento de viagem é bastante simples: as crianças têm o direito de usar a imaginação e de viver em um mundo livre da preocupação de sequestro parental. E os genitores alvo de sequestro têm o direito de exigir que a sociedade proteja seus filhos contra sequestros. Nós acreditamos nestes direitos. Nosso trabalho e dedicação continuam.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

আই কেয়ার ফাউন্ডেশন-এর শিশুর অন্তর্দেশীয় ভ্রমণের সম্মতিপত্র এখন বাংলায় পাওয়া যাচ্ছে

আই কেয়ার ফাউন্ডেশন-এর শিশুর অন্তর্দেশীয় ভ্রমণের সম্মতিপত্র এখন বাংলায় পাওয়া যাচ্ছে




আই কেয়ার ফাউন্ডেশন-এর শিশুর অন্তর্দেশীয় ভ্রমণের সম্মতিপত্র প্রবর্তনের উদ্দেশ্য হচ্ছে শিশুর বাবা-মায়েদের দ্বারা তাদের অপহরণ আন্তর্জাতিক স্তরে প্রতিরোধ করা, যার সঙ্গে যুক্ত আছে শিশুর কোন এক অভিভাবকের দ্বারা শিশুকে ভিনদেশে অন্যায়ভাবে আটকে রাখা এবং এটি এখন বাংলা ভাষাতেও পাওয়া যাচ্ছে। এর ভ্রমণ নিদর্শটি মূলত যে আইনি বিষয়গুলিকে সম্বোধিত করে যেগুলি ১৯৮০ সালের শিশু অপরহণ বিষয়ক হেগ নিয়মপত্রকে কেন্দ্র করে আবর্তিত এবং আন্তর্জাতিক স্তরে বাংলা ভাষাভাষী দেশগুলির সঙ্গে যুক্ত বাবা-মায়েদের দ্বারা তাদের শিশুদের সম্ভাব্য অপহরণের ঘটনাগুলির তদারকির দায়িত্বপ্রাপ্ত আদালতসমূহের সহায়তা প্রদান করে, একটি অনন্য, বিশ্বজুড়ে সুবিদিত শিশু অপহরণরোধী এমন সাধনীসহ, যা আন্তর্জাতিকভাবে সেই সমস্ত আইনি, কূটনৈতিক ও বিচারবিভাগীয় সম্প্রদায় দ্বারা উচ্চপ্রশংসিত, যারা আন্তর্জাতিক স্তরে অভিভাবকীয় শিশু অপহরণের ঘটনার সঙ্গে সুপরিচিত।
আই কেয়ার ফাউন্ডেশন দ্বারা ২০১৪ সালে গ্রীষ্মকালে একটি বিস্তৃত অধ্যয়ন চালানো হয়েছিল সারা বিশ্বজুড়ে সহস্রাধিক আইনজীবী ও বিচারপতিদের সমীক্ষার মধ্যে দিয়ে, যাঁরা আন্তর্জাতিক অভিভাবকীয় শিশু অপরহণের ঘটনার সঙ্গে সুপরিচিত। এই সমীক্ষা থেকে দেখা গেছে যে, ১৯৮০ সালের শিশু অপরহরণ বিষয়ক হেগ সম্মেলনে স্বাক্ষরকারী চুরানম্বইটি দেশে অভিভাবকীয় অপহরণের যত ঘটনা রয়েছে তার মধ্যে ৭০%-এরও বেশির ঘটনায় এটি সাধারণভাবে দেখা গেছে যে, একটি শিশুর কোন এক অভিভাবক (বাবা বা মা), অপর অভিভাবকের সম্মতি বা আদালতের রায় ব্যতিরেকে শিশুকে নিয়ে দেশান্তরে চলে গেছেন এবং সেখানে তাকে অন্যায়ভাবে আটকে রেখেছেন এবং এইভাবে তিনি অপর অভিভাবকের শিশুর হেফাজতের অধিকার খর্ব করেছেন। এই সমীক্ষা থেকে আরও যে সিদ্ধান্তে আসা গেছে তা হল, ১৯৮০ সালের হেগ শিশু অপরহরণ নিয়মপত্রের সঙ্গে সম্পর্কযুক্ত ঘটনাগুলিতে শিশুকে আটক করে রাখার ঘটনার সংখ্যাধিক্য অবাক করে দেবার মতো। এই সমস্ত অপহরণকারী অভিভাবকেরা প্রায়শই হেগ নিয়মপত্রে অপহরণের যুক্তি হিসেবে ১২ ও ১৩ নম্বর অনুচ্ছেদ দুটিতে তাঁদের প্রদত্ত সুরক্ষার ব্যবস্থাকে কাজে লাগায় এই প্রত্যাশা থেকে যে, যে দেশে তাঁরা শিশুকে অপহরণ করে রেথেছেন সেই দেশের আদালত শিশুটিকে তার নিজের মূল অধিক্ষেত্রের দেশে ফিরিয়ে না দিতে নিজেদের আইন প্রয়োগ করবে।
আই কেয়ার ফাউন্ডেশন-এর ভ্রমণ নিদর্শকে সফলতার সঙ্গে শিশুদের অন্তর্দেশীয় ভ্রমণের ঘটনাগুলির ক্ষেত্রে হাতে-কলমে প্রয়োগ করে দেখানো হয়েছে। আন্তর্জাতিক স্তরে হেগ-কেন্দ্রিক শিশু অপহরণের ঘটনাগুলি রোধে এই সম্মতিপত্র সার্বিকভাবে কতটা কার্যকরী তা আমার এখনও প্রত্যক্ষ করে চলেছি। আমরা এ ব্যাপারে চূড়ান্ত আশাবাদী যে আমাদের এই হেগ-কেন্দ্রিক ভ্রমণের সম্মতিপত্রটি সার্বিকভাবে আন্তর্জাতিক স্তরে অভিভাবকীয় শিশু অপহরণের ঘটনাগুলিকে উল্লেখযোগ্যভাবে কমিয়ে আনতে সফল হবেই। আমরা আমাদের ফলপ্রসূ গবেষণা থেকে দেখেছি শিশু অপহরণের ঘটনাগুলির মধ্যে ৭০%-এরও বেশির ক্ষেত্রে দেখা গেছে যে শিশুকে বাইরের কোন দেশে নিয়ে গিয়ে অন্যায়ভাবে আটকে রাখা হয়েছে – আর আমাদের প্রবর্তিত ভ্রমণ নিদর্শটি অভিভাবকীয় শিশু অপহরণের ক্ষেত্রে ঠিক এই বিষয়টির বিরুদ্ধেই রক্ষাকবচ তৈরি করতে সক্ষম হয়েছে।
আমাদের এই ভ্রমণের সম্মতিপত্রটি তৈরি ও ব্যবহার বেশ সহজঃ শিশুদের জাদুর দুনিয়ায় থাকার ও অভিভাবকদের দ্বারা অপহৃত হয়ে যাবার উদ্বেগহীন একটি পৃথিবীতে জীবনযাপন করার অধিকার রয়েছে। আর একই সঙ্গে, যে সমস্ত অভিভাবকেরা এই ধরনের অপহরহণের ঘটনার শিকার হচ্ছেন তাঁদেরও এমন এক সমাজ পাওয়ার অধিকার আছে যে সমাজ তাঁদের শিশুদের অপহরণ হয়ে যাওয়া থেকে রক্ষা করতে পারে। আমরা এই সকল অধিকারগুলি অস্তিত্বে বিশ্বাসী। অতএব, আমাদের কাজ ও নিষ্ঠা সেই লক্ষ্যেই জারি থাকবে।

The I CARE Foundation’s International Travel Child Consent Form Available In Bengali

The I CARE Foundation’s International Travel Child Consent Form created to prevent international parental child abduction associated with a child being wrongfully retained by one parent in a foreign country is now available in Bengali. The travel form addresses key legal issues revolving around the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention and provides courts worldwide charged with overseeing potential international parental child abduction cases associated with countries that speak Bengali with a unique, globally well-established court implemented abduction prevention tool that is widely supported by the international legal, diplomatic, and judicial communities familiar with international parental child abduction.
An extensive I CARE Foundation study conducted during the summer of 2014 surveyed hundreds of attorneys and judges located around the world deeply familiar with international parental child abduction. The study’s findings showed that over 70% of all international parental kidnappings amongst the ninety-four 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention member signatory nations occur when one parent wrongfully detains a child abroad without the child’s other parent’s consent or a court order, violating the left-behind parent’s right of custody and the child’s right to the targeted parent. The survey also concluded the overwhelming majority of 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention cases associated with wrongful retention, the abducting parent often uses abduction defenses available to them under Article 12 and Article 13 of the Hague Convention in hope to have the court located in the country the child has been wrongfully detained in sanction their act of not returning the child to their country of original jurisdiction.
Extensive high remarks for the I CARE Foundation’s International Travel Child Consent Form as a groundbreaking, comprehensive, and significant global international parental child abduction prevention tool have been voiced by the leadership within legal communities familiar with international parental child abduction during  legal forums around the world including compelling commentary from senior officers of the Hague Permanent Bureau during but not limited to international legal symposiums on child abduction held during the LEPCA Conference in the Hague, the IAML Conference in New York, and the Sapporo Bar Association’s Hague Symposium in Sapporo. In addition a large and growing number of attorney Bar Associations in the United States and abroad have published positive and meaningful feedback concerning the I CARE Foundation’s travel consent form with clear intent to educate their legal constituents about the landmark child abduction prevention tool. Perhaps most meaningful is the reality that many judges around the world have praised the I CARE Foundation’s travel consent form, have utilized the document in their courtrooms, and continue to implement the form in courtrooms around the world during child custody and child travel legal proceedings.
Demonstrated by the large number of international child travel cases that have successfully occurred utilizing the I CARE Foundation’s travel form, we continue to witness the important role a Hague-oriented travel consent form has in the global theater of international child abduction prevention. We remain highly optimistic that the global international parental child abduction rate will substantially decline due to use of Hague-oriented travel consent forms. Our substantial research indicates that over 70% of all international child kidnappings occur when a child is wrongfully detained abroad – the exact parental kidnapping scenario our travel form has successfully protected against.
The creation and use of our travel consent form is rather simple: children have a right to know magic and to live in a world free of concern from parental child abduction. And targeted parents of abduction have a right to have society protect their children from kidnapping. We believe in these rights. Our work and dedication continues.

النموذج العالمي للموافقة على سفر الطفل الخاص بمنظمة I CARE متوافر الآن بالعربية

النموذج العالمي للموافقة على سفر الطفل الخاص بمنظمة I CARE متوافر الآن بالعربية



النموذج العالمي للموافقة على سفر الطفل الخاص بمنظمة I CARE والذي تم وضعه من أجل منع أحد الأبوين من اختطاف الطفل عند قيام أحد الوالدين باحتجاز الطفل ظلماً في دولة أجنبية، أصبح الآن متوافراً باللغة العربية. يتناول نموذج السفر مسائل قانونية هامة تتعلق باتفاقية لاهاي 1980 لحماية الأطفال من الأختطاف . ويزود المحاكم في جميع أنحاء العالم المسؤولة عن مراقبة القضايا الدولية المحتملة المتعلقة باختطاف أطفال من قبل أحد والديهم وذات صلة بالدول العربية ، بأداة لمنع الاختطاف مُثبتة دولياً ومُنَفَذة في المحاكم وتلقى دعماً واسعاً من المجتمعات القضائية، الدبلوماسية و القانونية العالمية المُطَلِعة على الحالات العالمية لاختطاف الطفل من أحد والديه.

في دراسة مطولة أجرتها منظمة I CARE خلال صيف عام 2014 تم إجراء استطلاع على مئات من المحامين و القضاة في جميع أنحاء العالم حيث كانوا على اطلاع على الحالات الدولية لاختطاف أطفال من قبل أحد والديهم. أظهرت نتائج الدراسة بأن أكثر من 70% من حالات خطف الأطفال من قبل أحد والديهم من بين الدول الأربع و تسعين الموقعة على اتفاقية لاهاي 1980 لحماية الأطفال من الاختطاف تحدث عندما يقوم  الأب\الأم باحتجاز الطفل ظلما خارج البلاد بدون موافقة  الأم\الأب أو بدون أمر من المحكمة، مما يشكل انتهاكاً لحق  الأم\الأب بحضانة الطفل وحق الطفل بالعيش في حضن أمه\أبيه. خَلُص الاستطلاع أيضا الى أن الغالبية العظمى من حالات “اتفاقية لاهاي 1980 لحماية الأطفال من الاختطاف” المرتبطة باحتجاز الطفل ظلما، يستخدم فيها عادة الأب\الأم المُختَطِف دفاعات الاختطاف المتاحة له بموجب المادة 12 و المادة 13 من اتفاقية لاهاي على أمل أن تقوم المحكمة الواقعة في الدولة التي تم فيها احتجاز الطفل ظلماً بإقرار تصرفهم بعدم إعادة الطفل الى دولة السلطة القضائية الأصلية التي يتبع لها.

 بناءا على النجاح الذي برهنه عدد كبير من حالات سفر الأطفال الدولية بالاستفادة من نموذج السفر الخاص بمنظمة I CARE، فاننا ما زلنا نشهد أهمية الدور الذي يلعبه نموذج الموافقة عل السفر الموجه باتفاقية-لاهاي في  مجال منع اختطاف الأطفال الدولي.

  نحن ما زلنا متفائلين للغاية بان معدل اختطاف الاطفال دولياً من قبل أحد الوالدين سينخفض بنسبة كبيرة بفضل استخدام نماذج الموافقة على السفر الموجهة باتفاقية لاهاي.تشير البحوث الخاصة بنا بأن أكثر من 70% من حالات اختطاف الأطفال الدولية تحدث عندما يتم احتجاز الطفل ظلما خارج البلاد – وهو نفس سيناريو الاختطاف الأبوي الذي تمكن نموذج السفر الخاص بنا من حماية الأطفال منه بنجاح.

عملية إنشاء و استخدام نموذج الموافقة على السفر الخاص بنا تعتبر بسيطة: الطفل لديه الحق بمعرفة السحر و العيش في العالم بدون أن يقلق بشأن اختطافه من قبل أحد والديه. والأبوين المستهدفين في الاختطاف لديهم الحق بأن يقوم المجتمع بحماية أطفالهم من الاختطاف. نحن نؤمن بهذه الحقوق. ونستمر في عملنا و اخلاصنا.

The I CARE Foundation’s International Travel Child Consent Form Available In Arabic


The I CARE Foundation’s International Travel Child Consent Form created to prevent international parental child abduction associated with a child being wrongfully detained by one parent in a foreign country is now available in Arabic. The travel form addresses key legal issues revolving around the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention and provides courts worldwide charged with overseeing potential international parental child abduction cases associated with countries that speak Arabic with a unique, globally well-established court implemented abduction prevention tool that is widely supported by the international legal, diplomatic, and judicial communities familiar with international parental child abduction.
An extensive I CARE Foundation study conducted during the summer of 2014 surveyed hundreds of attorneys and judges located around the world deeply familiar with international parental child abduction. The study’s findings showed that over 70% of all international parental kidnappings amongst the ninety-four 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention member signatory nations occur when one parent wrongfully detains a child abroad without the child’s other parent’s consent or a court order, violating the left-behind parent’s right of custody and the child’s right to the targeted parent. The survey also concluded the overwhelming majority of 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention cases associated with wrongful retention, the abducting parent often uses abduction defenses available to them under Article 12 and Article 13 of the Hague Convention in hope to have the court located in the country the child has been wrongfully detained in sanction their act of not returning the child to their country of original jurisdiction.
Extensive high remarks for the I CARE Foundation’s International Travel Child Consent Form as a groundbreaking, comprehensive, and significant global international parental child abduction prevention tool have been voiced by the leadership within legal communities familiar with international parental child abduction during  legal forums around the world including compelling commentary from senior officers of the Hague Permanent Bureau during but not limited to international legal symposiums on child abduction held during the LEPCA Conference in the Hague, the IAML Conference in New York, and the Sapporo Bar Association’s Hague Symposium in Sapporo. In addition a large and growing number of attorney Bar Associations in the United States and abroad have published positive and meaningful feedback concerning the I CARE Foundation’s travel consent form with clear intent to educate their legal constituents about the landmark child abduction prevention tool. Perhaps most meaningful is the reality that many judges around the world have praised the I CARE Foundation’s travel consent form, have utilized the document in their courtrooms, and continue to implement the form in courtrooms around the world during child custody and child travel legal proceedings.
Demonstrated by the large number of international child travel cases that have successfully occurred utilizing the I CARE Foundation’s travel form, we continue to witness the important role a Hague-oriented travel consent form has in the global theater of international child abduction prevention. We remain highly optimistic that the global international parental child abduction rate will substantially decline due to use of Hague-oriented travel consent forms. Our substantial research indicates that over 70% of all international child kidnappings occur when a child is wrongfully detained abroad – the exact parental kidnapping scenario our travel form has successfully protected against.
The creation and use of our travel consent form is rather simple: children have a right to know magic and to live in a world free of concern from parental child abduction. And targeted parents of abduction have a right to have society protect their children from kidnapping. We believe in these rights. Our work and dedication continues.




Wednesday, November 12, 2014

English International Travel Form For Minors

The I CARE Foundation’s International Travel Child Consent Form Available In English


The I CARE Foundation’s International Travel Child Consent Form created to prevent international parental child abduction associated with a child being wrongfully detained by one parent in a foreign country is now available in English. The travel form addresses key legal issues revolving around the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention and provides courts worldwide charged with overseeing potential international parental child abduction cases associated with countries that speak English with a unique, globally well-established court implemented abduction prevention tool that is widely supported by the international legal, diplomatic, and judicial communities familiar with international parental child abduction.
An extensive I CARE Foundation study conducted during the summer of 2014 surveyed hundreds of attorneys and judges located around the world deeply familiar with international parental child abduction. The study’s findings showed that over 70% of all international parental kidnappings amongst the ninety-four 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention member signatory nations occur when one parent wrongfully detains a child abroad without the child’s other parent’s consent or a court order, violating the left-behind parent’s right of custody and the child’s right to the targeted parent. The survey also concluded the overwhelming majority of 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention cases associated with wrongful retention, the abducting parent often uses abduction defenses available to them under Article 12 and Article 13 of the Hague Convention in hope to have the court located in the country the child has been wrongfully detained in sanction their act of not returning the child to their country of original jurisdiction.
Extensive high remarks for the I CARE Foundation’s International Travel Child Consent Form as a groundbreaking, comprehensive, and significant global international parental child abduction prevention tool have been voiced by the leadership within legal communities familiar with international parental child abduction during  legal forums around the world including compelling commentary from senior officers of the Hague Permanent Bureau during but not limited to international legal symposiums on child abduction held during the LEPCA Conference in the Hague, the IAML Conference in New York, and the Sapporo Bar Association’s Hague Symposium in Sapporo. In addition a large and growing number of attorney Bar Associations in the United States and abroad have published positive and meaningful feedback concerning the I CARE Foundation’s travel consent form with clear intent to educate their legal constituents about the landmark child abduction prevention tool. Perhaps most meaningful is the reality that many judges around the world have praised the I CARE Foundation’s travel consent form, have utilized the document in their courtrooms, and continue to implement the form in courtrooms around the world during child custody and child travel legal proceedings.
Demonstrated by the large number of international child travel cases that have successfully occurred utilizing the I CARE Foundation’s travel form, we continue to witness the important role a Hague-oriented travel consent form has in the global theater of international child abduction prevention and support the Secretary General’s intent to consider incorporating an official Hague travel form into the arsenal of global abduction prevention tools. We remain highly optimistic that the global international parental child abduction rate will substantially decline due to use of Hague-oriented travel consent forms. Our substantial research indicates that over 70% of all international child kidnappings occur when a child is wrongfully detained abroad – the exact parental kidnapping scenario our travel form has successfully protected against.
The creation and use of our travel consent form is rather simple: children have a right to know magic and to live in a world free of concern from parental child abduction. And targeted parents of abduction have a right to have society protect their children from kidnapping. We believe in these rights. Our work and dedication continues.


El formulario en español de consentimiento para viajar los hijos internacionalmente de la Fundación I CARE

El formulario en español de consentimiento para viajar los hijos internacionalmente de la Fundación I CARE


El formulario en español de consentimiento para viajar los hijos internacionalmente de la Fundación I CARE creado para evitar el secuestro internacional de los niños por sus progenitores, relacionado con el hecho de que uno de los progenitores retenga al hijo indebidamente en un país extranjero, ya está disponible en español. El formulario para viajar trata temas legales claves que giran en torno al Acuerdo sobre el Secuestro de Niños de la Haya de 1980 y pone a disposición tribunales por todo el mundo que se encargan de supervisar los posibles casos de secuestro de hijos por los progenitores, relacionado con los países que hablan español, con una herramienta de prevención de secuestros respaldada por los tribunales que es única y está bien establecida globalmente y que cuenta con el amplio apoyo de las comunidades judiciales, diplomáticas y legales internacionales familiarizadas con los secuestros de hijos por sus progenitores a nivel internacional.
Un estudio amplio realizado por la Fundación I CARE durante el verano de 2014, entrevistó a cientos de abogados y jueces localizados alrededor del mundo que estaban profundamente familiarizados con los secuestros internacionales de hijos por uno de los progenitores. Los hallazgos del estudio mostraron que más del 70 % de todos los secuestros internacionales realizados por los progenitores, entre las noventa y cuatro naciones miembros que firmaron el Acuerdo sobre el Secuestro de Niños de la Haya de 1980, se produce cuando uno de los padres retiene indebidamente a un hijo en el extranjero sin el consentimiento del otro progenitor del menor o una orden judicial, violando el derecho de custodia del padre que se quedó atrás y el derecho del hijo al progenitor que ha sido retenido. La encuesta también concluyó de forma abrumadora que en la mayoría de los casos del Acuerdo sobre el Secuestro de Niños de la Haya de 1980 asociados con la retención indebida, el progenitor que ha retenido al niño utiliza a menudo las defensas para el secuestro que tienen disponibles bajo el Artículo 12 y el Artículo 13 del Acuerdo de La Haya con la esperanza de que puedan tratar el caso en los tribunales del país donde tienen retenido al hijo indebidamente, al sancionar su acto de no devolver el hijo al país de su jurisdicción original.
  
Como ha sido palpable por el gran número de casos en los que los hijos han viajado internacionalmente que han tenido lugar con éxito mediante el uso del formulario para viajar de la Fundación I CARE, seguimos siendo testigos del papel importante que tiene un consentimiento para viajar orientado de acuerdo a La Haya en el área global de la prevención del secuestro internacional de los hijos.  Seguimos muy optimistas respecto a que el índice de secuestros internacionales de los hijos por sus progenitores se reducirá notablemente gracias al uso de los formularios para viajar que se basan en los acuerdos de La Haya. Nuestras numerosas encuestas indican que más del 70 %  de todos los secuestros internacionales de los hijos tienen lugar cuando un hijo es retenido en el extranjero indebidamente; que es justamente la situación de secuestro por los progenitores de la que nuestro formulario para viajar ha protegido.
La creación y utilización de nuestro formulario de consentimiento para viajar es bastante sencillo: los hijos tienen el derecho a conocer la magia y a poder vivir en un mundo libre de la preocupación del secuestro de los menores por sus progenitores. Y, los padres que pueden ser el objeto de ese secuestro, tienen el derecho a que la sociedad proteja a sus hijos del secuestro. Creemos en estos derechos. Nuestra labor y dedicación continúan.

 The I CARE Foundation’s International Travel Child Consent Form Available In Spanish



The I CARE Foundation’s International Travel Child Consent Form created to prevent international parental child abduction associated with a child being wrongfully detained by one parent in a foreign country is now available in Spanish. The travel form addresses key legal issues revolving around the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention and provides courts worldwide charged with overseeing potential international parental child abduction cases associated with countries that speak Spanish with a unique, globally well-established court implemented abduction prevention tool that is widely supported by the international legal, diplomatic, and judicial communities familiar with international parental child abduction.
An extensive I CARE Foundation study conducted during the summer of 2014 surveyed hundreds of attorneys and judges located around the world deeply familiar with international parental child abduction. The study’s findings showed that over 70% of all international parental kidnappings amongst the ninety-four 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention member signatory nations occur when one parent wrongfully detains a child abroad without the child’s other parent’s consent or a court order, violating the left-behind parent’s right of custody and the child’s right to the targeted parent. The survey also concluded the overwhelming majority of 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention cases associated with wrongful retention, the abducting parent often uses abduction defenses available to them under Article 12 and Article 13 of the Hague Convention in hope to have the court located in the country the child has been wrongfully detained in sanction their act of not returning the child to their country of original jurisdiction.
Extensive high remarks for the I CARE Foundation’s International Travel Child Consent Form as a groundbreaking, comprehensive, and significant global international parental child abduction prevention tool have been voiced by the leadership within legal communities familiar with international parental child abduction during  legal forums around the world including compelling commentary from senior officers of the Hague Permanent Bureau during but not limited to international legal symposiums on child abduction held during the LEPCA Conference in the Hague, the IAML Conference in New York, and the Sapporo Bar Association’s Hague Symposium in Sapporo. In addition a large and growing number of attorney Bar Associations in the United States and abroad have published positive and meaningful feedback concerning the I CARE Foundation’s travel consent form with clear intent to educate their legal constituents about the landmark child abduction prevention tool. Perhaps most meaningful is the reality that many judges around the world have praised the I CARE Foundation’s travel consent form, have utilized the document in their courtrooms, and continue to implement the form in courtrooms around the world during child custody and child travel legal proceedings.
Demonstrated by the large number of international child travel cases that have successfully occurred utilizing the I CARE Foundation’s travel form, we continue to witness the important role a Hague-oriented travel consent form has in the global theater of international child abduction prevention. We remain highly optimistic that the global international parental child abduction rate will substantially decline due to use of Hague-oriented travel consent forms. Our substantial research indicates that over 70% of all international child kidnappings occur when a child is wrongfully detained abroad – the exact parental kidnapping scenario our travel form has successfully protected against.
The creation and use of our travel consent form is rather simple: children have a right to know magic and to live in a world free of concern from parental child abduction. And targeted parents of abduction have a right to have society protect their children from kidnapping. We believe in these rights. Our work and dedication continues.

आई केयर फाउंडेशन (I CARE Foundation) का अंतरराष्ट्रीय यात्रा बाल सहमति फॉर्म हिंदी में उपलब्ध

आई केयर फाउंडेशन (I CARE Foundationका अंतरराष्ट्रीय यात्रा बाल सहमति फॉर्म हिंदी में उपलब्ध



आई केयर फाउंडेशन का अंतरराष्ट्रीय यात्रा बाल सहमति फॉर्म जो किसी बच्चे को दूसरे देश में एक माता/पिता द्वारा गलत तरीके से रोके जाने के साथ जुड़े अंतरराष्ट्रीय माता/पिता द्वारा बच्चे के अपहरण को रोकने के लिए बनाया गया है, यह फॉर्म अब हिंदी में उपलब्ध है। यात्रा फार्म 1980 के हेग बाल अपहरण कन्वेंशन के आसपास घूमते महत्वपूर्ण वैधानिक मुद्दों पर ध्यान देता है और हिंदी भाषी देशों के साथ जुड़े अंतरराष्ट्रीय माता/पिता द्वारा बच्चों के संभावित अपहरण के मामलों को देखने वाले दुनिया भर के न्यायालयों को एक विशिष्ट, दुनिया भर में सुव्यवस्थित, न्यायालय में कार्यान्वित अपहरण रोकथाम टूल उपलब्ध कराता है जो अंतरराष्ट्रीय वैधानिक, कूटनीतिक और अंतरराष्ट्रीय माता/पिता द्वारा बच्चे के अपहरण के जानकार न्यायिक समुदायों द्वारा बड़े पैमाने पर समर्थित है। 2014 की गर्मियों के दौरान आई केयर फाउंडेशन द्वारा एक व्यापक अध्ययन कराया गया जिसमें अंतरराष्ट्रीय पैरेंटल बाल अपहरण की गहरी जानकारी रखने वाले दुनिया भर में स्थित सैकड़ों अधिवक्ताओं और न्यायाधीशों का सर्वेक्षण किया गया। अध्ययन के नतीजों से पता चला कि 1980 हेग बाल अपहरण कन्वेंशन के चौरानबे हस्ताक्षरकर्ता सदस्य देशों में सभी अंतरराष्ट्रीय पैरेंटल अपहरण की 70% से अधिक घटनाएं उस समय होती हैं जब एक माता/पिता बच्चे के दूसरे माता/पिता की सहमति या किसी अदालती आदेश के बिना गलत तरीके से बच्चे को विदेश में रोक लेता है जिससे पीछे रह गए माता/पिता के अभिरक्षण के अधिकार और लक्षित माता/पिता के लिए बच्चे के अधिकार का उल्लंघन होता है। सर्वेक्षण में यह निष्कर्ष भी निकाला गया कि गलत तरीके रोके जाने से जुड़े 1980 हेग बाल अपहरण कन्वेंशन के मामलों की बहुत अधिक संख्या में अपहरणकर्ता माता/पिता अक्सर इस उम्मीद में हेग कन्वेंशन के अनुच्छेद 12 और अनुच्छेद 13 के तहत उनके लिए उपलब्ध अपहरण से बचाव के उपायों का प्रयोग करते हैं कि उस देश में स्थित न्यायालय जहां बच्चे को गलत तरीके से रोक कर रखा गया है, बच्चे को उसके मूल अधिकार क्षेत्र के देश में वापस नहीं करने के उनके कृत्य को मंजूर करेंगे।      
आई केयर फाउंडेशन के यात्रा फॉर्म का उपयोग करके सफलतापूर्वक यात्रा करने वाले अंतरराष्ट्रीय बाल यात्रा मामलों की एक बड़ी संख्या द्वारा प्रदर्शित के अनुसार, हम अंतरराष्ट्रीय बाल अपहरण की रोकथाम के वैश्विक परिदृश्य में हेग-उन्मुख यात्रा सहमति फॉर्म की महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका को लगातार देख रहे हैं। हम इस मामले में काफी आशावादी बने हुए हैं कि हेग-उन्मुख यात्रा सहमति फॉर्मों की वजह से वैश्विक अंतरराष्ट्रीय पैरेंटल बाल अपहरण दर में काफ़ी गिरावट आएगी। हमारे व्यापक अनुसंधान से पता चलता है कि सभी अंतरराष्ट्रीय बाल अपहरणों में 70% से अधिक उस समय होते हैं जब किसी बच्चे को विदेश में गलत तरीके से रोक कर रखा जाता है – यही वह पैरेंटल अपहरण परिदृश्य है जिसके विरुद्ध हमारे यात्रा फॉर्म ने सफलतापूर्वक सुरक्षा प्रदान की है।
हमारे यात्रा सहमति फॉर्म का निर्माण और उपयोग कहीं अधिक सरल है: बच्चों को जादू के बारे में जानने और माता/पिता द्वारा बच्चे के अपहरण की चिंता से मुक्त दुनिया में जीने का अधिकार है। साथ ही अपहरण के लक्षित माता-पिता को अपहरण से अपने बच्चों की रक्षा करने वाला समाज पाने का अधिकार है। हम इन अधिकारों में विश्वास करते हैं। हमारा प्रयास और समर्पण अनवरत जारी है।


The I CARE Foundation’s International Travel Child Consent Form Available In Hindi


The I CARE Foundation’s International Travel Child Consent Form created to prevent international parental child abduction associated with a child being wrongfully detained by one parent in a foreign country is now available in Hindi. The travel form addresses key legal issues revolving around the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention and provides courts worldwide charged with overseeing potential international parental child abduction cases associated with countries that speak Hindi with a unique, globally well-established court implemented abduction prevention tool that is widely supported by the international legal, diplomatic, and judicial communities familiar with international parental child abduction.
An extensive I CARE Foundation study conducted during the summer of 2014 surveyed hundreds of attorneys and judges located around the world deeply familiar with international parental child abduction. The study’s findings showed that over 70% of all international parental kidnappings amongst the ninety-four 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention member signatory nations occur when one parent wrongfully detains a child abroad without the child’s other parent’s consent or a court order, violating the left-behind parent’s right of custody and the child’s right to the targeted parent. The survey also concluded the overwhelming majority of 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention cases associated with wrongful retention, the abducting parent often uses abduction defenses available to them under Article 12 and Article 13 of the Hague Convention in hope to have the court located in the country the child has been wrongfully detained in sanction their act of not returning the child to their country of original jurisdiction.
Extensive high remarks for the I CARE Foundation’s International Travel Child Consent Form as a groundbreaking, comprehensive, and significant global international parental child abduction prevention tool have been voiced by the leadership within legal communities familiar with international parental child abduction during  legal forums around the world including compelling commentary from senior officers of the Hague Permanent Bureau during but not limited to international legal symposiums on child abduction held during the LEPCA Conference in the Hague, the IAML Conference in New York, and the Sapporo Bar Association’s Hague Symposium in Sapporo. In addition a large and growing number of attorney Bar Associations in the United States and abroad have published positive and meaningful feedback concerning the I CARE Foundation’s travel consent form with clear intent to educate their legal constituents about the landmark child abduction prevention tool. Perhaps most meaningful is the reality that many judges around the world have praised the I CARE Foundation’s travel consent form, have utilized the document in their courtrooms, and continue to implement the form in courtrooms around the world during child custody and child travel legal proceedings.
Demonstrated by the large number of international child travel cases that have successfully occurred utilizing the I CARE Foundation’s travel form, we continue to witness the important role a Hague-oriented travel consent form has in the global theater of international child abduction prevention. We remain highly optimistic that the global international parental child abduction rate will substantially decline due to use of Hague-oriented travel consent forms. Our substantial research indicates that over 70% of all international child kidnappings occur when a child is wrongfully detained abroad – the exact parental kidnapping scenario our travel form has successfully protected against.
The creation and use of our travel consent form is rather simple: children have a right to know magic and to live in a world free of concern from parental child abduction. And targeted parents of abduction have a right to have society protect their children from kidnapping. We believe in these rights. Our work and dedication continues.

Friday, May 23, 2014

Peter Thomas Senese - U.S. Outbound International Child Abduction Rate Drops By 12.23% In 2013, 38.06% Decline Since 2009

The United States reported cases of outbound international parental child abduction declined by 12.23%  according to statistics supplied to the United States Congress by the United States Department of State.  The drop in the abduction rate marks the fourth consecutive year the number of American children victimized by international child abduction has declined. During fiscal years 2009 through 2013 the total abduction rate has declined by 38.06%. The reported drop in American child kidnappings is an anomaly in comparison to the existing worldwide growth of international parental child abduction cases that is nothing short of a pandemic.


On behalf of my I CARE Foundation colleagues and the families around the world we have assisted, I would personally like to acknowledge all individuals who have worked to protect children from abduction. I would also like to acknowledge the remarkable efforts and leadership in the area of governmental advocacy displayed by the United States Department of State's Office of Childrens Issues, who, over the past three years in particular have made great strides in protecting American children from abduction. There is a reason why American children are being protected, and it begins with the Office of Childrens Issues.

Additionally, the effort to protect children includes the many stakeholders, including other non-government organizations and their respective teams who have worked tirelessly to protect children and targeted families. It has only been through a collective effort by all advocates that the mountain of abduction here in the United States continues to be pushed back.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge all my colleagues at the I CARE Foundation around the world for the tireless efforts that have been put forth over the years since we actively began working to protect children from kidnapping. It is not coincidental that since we began our work to protect children from abduction that there has been a four-year consecutive decline equating to a 38.06% reduction in the United States international child abduction rate.

We acknowledge the 12.23% decline in the outbound abduction rate of American children that took place in 2013. However, truth is that this is not enough. Far from it. Additionally, there is a pandemic occurring worldwide that is destroying innocence. And it must be stopped.

There is work to be done.

Peter Thomas Senese
On Behalf Of The I CARE Foundation


THE I CARE FOUNDATION

Report on International Parental Child Abduction 
In The United States Of America

International Parental Child Abduction Today – 2014”

Written By
Peter Thomas Senese

Issued On May 23rd, 2014


United States Reported Outbound Child Abduction Rate Drops By 12.23 %

The 2013 reported number of outbound cases and actual number of reported child victims of international parental child abduction originating from the United States has significantly declined during 2013. Remarkably, this is the fourth consecutive year in a row (reporting years 2009-2013) that the United States international parental child abduction outbound rate has declined. According to the 2014 Department of State’s Hague Compliance Report to Congress, there was a 12.23% decline in the actual number of reported child victims of international parental kidnapping representing a reduction of 140 children. In addition, there was a 12.14% decline in the number of reported cases of abduction representing a caseload decline of 97 cases. The decline in the reported cases and number of child victims being removed from the United States is an anomaly: worldwide the vast majority of countries reporting incidents of international parental child abduction as defined by the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention continues to surge at pandemic rates, with the average annual child abduction growth rate forecasted at over 20% per year. 

Despite the significant decline in the reported outbound decline in the abduction rate of American children originating from the United States, we caution that international parental child abduction (herein referred to as ‘IPCA’) remains a severe, highly abusive, and potentially deadly crime that targets thousands of American children and hundreds of thousands of children around the world each year. The fact remains that IPCA is a highly abusive criminal act against a child that places the child in great physical and emotional danger, and could jeopardize the child’s life.

In the United States and abroad our reality remains child-citizens continue to be criminally kidnapped, illegally removed overseas, and wrongfully detained in foreign countries in shocking numbers by their non-custodial parent.

The significance in the 12.23% decline in individual cases of IPCA during 2013 should not be minimized, nor should the remarkable 38.06% reported decline in the number of reported individual outbound cases originating from the United States over the past four reporting years (2009-2013). In fact, statistically these are remarkable gains and exemplify the tremendous leadership and dedication first and foremost demonstrated by the Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Justice combined with a collective array of child abduction prevention stakeholders who have had a significant impact not only raising awareness amongst potentially targeted families of abduction, but who have created or helped create new laws, policies, or protocols capable of stopping international parental child abduction.

The fact the United States IPCA rate continues to decline despite heavily contradicting global trends found in other nations combined with increases in the population, including growth amongst the immigration migration sector, clearly indicates the immense efforts put forth by stakeholders working to stop child abduction is working. Nevertheless, there is a great deal that can and must be done to better protect at-risk children while also increasing efforts to reunite abducted children.

On a sober note, we acknowledge that fewer child victims of IPCA come home to their country of original jurisdiction and the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention process is taking longer than in previous years. Neither the failure to return children or the long delay times related to litigation are country specific: these are internal issues for every country and are not specific challenges faced solely by American citizens, but by all left behind parents. Thus, we re-emphasize our belief that the most efficient way to protect a child from IPCA is to prevent their abduction from occurring.

A look at the previous years statistics tells a compelling child abduction prevention effort taking place in the United States of America.

 2009-2013_CasesChildren_AbductionDecline

Specifically,during 2013 there were a total of 702 reported cases of international parental child abduction representing 1004 children. Previously, during 2012 there were 799 reported international parental child abduction cases filed with the United States Central Authority representing a total of 1,144 children. In 2011 there were a total of 941 reported international parental child abduction cases filed with the United States Central Authority, representing a total of 1,367 children. In 2010 there were 1022 reported cases of international parental child abduction representing 1,492 children. And in 2009 there were 1,135 cases of international parental child abduction representing 1,621 children.

When considering previous extensive growth in the United States reported outbound cases of IPCA coupled with the reality that cross-border child abduction continues to surge worldwide, the decline in the outbound abduction rate of American children is noteworthy.

In fact, the reported number of individual child victims of IPCA declined in 2010 by 8% (1,492 child victims from 1,621 child victims reported in 2009), 8.49% in 2011 (1,367 children), to a landmark decline of 16.3% in 2012 (1,144 children), followed by a 12.23% drop in 2013 (1,004 child victims).

These statistical declines become more apparent when viewing the years collectively. For example, there was a 38.06% decline in the reported outbound IPCA rate over the five-year period of 2009 through 2013. During this five-year period, the number of reported child victims of IPCA declined from 1,621 in 2009 to 1,004 child victims in 2013.  This represents a differential gain of 617 children who were protected from IPCA during 2013 in comparison to 2009. In addition, for the same reporting period there was a 38.15% decline in the number of reported family cases of IPCA (Note: a family case may consist of one or more children) representing a remarkable drop of 433 reported cases over the five-year period.

   


A comparative chart below provides further insight on the efforts to protect American children from IPCA taking place in the United States.


To put into perspective the significance in the reported 2013 decline in the reported cases of international parental child abduction and the fourth consecutive significant reduction in the cross-border kidnapping rate, it is important to note that previous to the 2009 fiscal year reported numbers, the international parental child abduction rate grew on average by nearly 20% per year the previous decade. In addition, the United States witnessed a yearly increase in population of approximately 2,400,000 people during 2008 – 2013, with an estimated 1,000,000 of these individuals newly arrived immigrants. We take exceptional note to the ongoing increases in the American immigration population due to the fact that many individuals who parentally abduct (referred to as a ‘Taking Parent’) were born and previously raised in a foreign country but relocated to the United States.

It is important to note that the unreported cases of international parental child abduction remain a very troubling area not just in the United States, but worldwide. However, we believe that outreach efforts by the United States Department of State, The I CARE Foundation, and the National Center For Missing & Exploited Children are in fact reaching communities who previously would not turn for assistance under the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention. And though there is no specific way to determine the unreported cases of IPCA, we believe there has been an increased awareness amongst communities who may previously may not have sought assistance to 1) become more aware of IPCA warning signs, 2) IPCA prevention measures, and 3) to turn to the Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues for assistance. 

It is our belief that the previously less proactive communities who may have traditionally believed that they were unable to protect against IPCA have begun to mobilize and become more proactive in protecting their children.

It is our assessment that due to the mobilization of parents who may have previously been less active to prevent IPCA, that it is conceivable that the overall reported outbound rate of IPCA (when considering both reported and unreported cases) may have dropped more than the 12.23% reported rate of abduction.

While there is much to be pleased about regarding the significant decline in reported outbound American IPCA rate, the reality is that many children who are internationally abducted do not come home, and the statistical trend of available data clearly demonstrates that the number of children worldwide being returned to their country of original jurisdiction continues to decline.

The following chart provides insight on the growing rate of child abduction to the United States.


COUNTRY COMPARISIONS: The United States, The United Kingdom, and Canada 
To understand the significance of the United States four consecutive year decline in the reported outbound IPCA rate, it is useful to compare the reported American data with statistical information provided by other nations. We note that global IPCA reporting amongst signatory nations and non-signatory countries to the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention remains beyond dismal.
Canada IPCA Rate Grows By 40% Since 2009
In April, 2014, Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs reported there has been a 40-per-cent increase in the number of international parental child abductions since 2009. Most of those cases involve countries such as the United States, Mexico and those of the European Union that have signed an international treaty called the Hague Convention, which aims to help resolve such emotionally charged incidents. However, there are also a “significant” number involving such countries as Lebanon, India, Pakistan and China, which have not signed up to the Hague Convention, making already complicated cases even more difficult.
In November, 2013 Canada created the Vulnerable Children's Consular Unit under the Department of Foreign Affairs in recognition of their growing internal IPCA problem and in an attempt to assist targeted families from the grave ordeal of international child kidnapping.
Canada’s Senate’s Human Rights Committee is also studying the Hague Convention in the hopes of providing recommendations to make it work better. Senior leadership from the Hague Conference are expected to visit Canada and provide insight with Canada’s policymakers in the near future.
United Kingdom IPCA Rate Grows By 88%
The United Kingdom continues to face a growing problem of IPCA, though, similar to Canada, specific hard data has not been publicly reported.  However, according to public statements made by the Foreign Office’s Child Abduction Section in December, 2012, reported outbound cases of IPCA has grown by 88% over the past ten years.
This number appears extraordinarily low when considering that public statements by the Foreign Office's Child Abduction Section state that the unit fielded an average of four calls per day to its specialist advice line, more than half of which were new cases during 2011 alone. The Foreign Office also stated the statistics do not represent the total number of IPCA cases because many cases go unreported.

EXTREME DIFFICULTIES IN RECOVERING AN ABDUCTED CHILD

There are abundant reasons why it is very difficult for child-victims of IPCA to be returned to their country of original jurisdiction. They include, but are not limited to the following:
  1.  Amongst signatory countries to the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention, litigation proceedings and tactics by the Taking Parent and their counsel often deploy techniques to circumvent Article 1 (Expeditious Return Provision), while over-utilizing Article 13 b (Best Interest Provision). This is not a U.S. problem but a global issue all left-behind parents face. In addition, courts and the judiciary overseeing IPCA proceedings have taken a rather long-arm approach to Article 12 of the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention.  The end result, as reported by a 2011 Hague Special Commission is that the average litigation period needed to make a determination has increased to 338 days as compared to 188 days; and,
  2. The reality is that attorneys familiar with Hague law often litigate before untrained judges who are not keenly aware of the spirit and intent of the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention.  Trained attorney-specialist familiar with the protocols of the child abduction treaty have successfully implemented litigation techniques created to extend or delay the court proceedings outside of the spirit of Article 1 of the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention.  In implementing calculated strategies before judges not familiar with the treaty or who may not intend to follow the rules established under the treaty, Taking Parents have been remarkably successful in being able to not only remain in the inbound country they have relocated to, but in many circumstances, limit the rights of the child to have contact with the other parent. This phenomenon appears to occur equally amongst men and women; and,
  3. Judges are often not trained on how to deal with IPCA cases nor are they familiar with the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention.  Because of a lack of training and education amongst the judiciary, many children around the world simply are not returned and the intent of the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention is being marginalized. As an example of the problems best exemplified by an untrained judiciary, the United States has over 10,000 family court judges able to hear an IPCA case. The vast majority of these judges have no or extremely limited experience dealing with Hague matters. The average litigation period for cases being heard in the United States is 338 days. In comparison, in the United Kingdom there are 17 judges who handle Hague cases.  The average litigation period for cases heard in the United Kingdom has been reported at 49 days; and,
  4. Many nations do not comply with or uphold the spirit of the convention (ex, Brazil, Mexico, Germany); and,
  5. Many countries have not signed the convention (China, India, Saudi Arabia etc); and,
  6. Chasing Parents may not have an idea what country their child was taken to; and,
  7. Chasing Parents are responsible to carry the enormous financial burden associated with their child’s recovery. Many simply do not have the substantial resources needed; and,
  8. Many Chasing Parents do not have the knowledge necessary to navigate the difficult and complex legal system of international law, nor do they often know who to turn to and what to do; and,
  9. Nationalistic prejudices of court systems located in the ‘inbound’ country, whereas, a court may try to protect the abducting parent if that parent is a citizen of the country where they abducted the child to.
WHAT'S WORKING?

There are many reasons why the reported United States outbound rate of IPCA is declining.  Collectively, the primary reason is that efforts by government agencies and non-government agencies have increased efforts to not only raise awareness amongst potential targeted parents of IPCA, but educational outreach directed toward key stakeholders such as the judiciary, attorneys, law enforcement, and policymakers has made a major difference. The following are some important reasons why outbound cases IPCA is declining in the United States, while inbound cases are rising.
  1. There is an increased social awareness of IPCA, including awareness of warning signs and how to act in the event of a potential threat; and,
  2. Targeted parents at risk of having a child abducted have become more proactive in protecting their children; and,
  3. The Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues has become an exemplary child abduction prevention advocacy program under the guidelines available to all Central Authorities under the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention. Increased personal, extensive information via the Internet, and public outreach along with the ability to implement and take control of an assortment of abduction prevention programs such as the Passport Issuance Alert Program have been extremely beneficial.
  4. Inter-agency cooperation amongst the Department of State and other agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security have been extremely impactful. An example of this type of cooperation is found in the Prevent Departure Program.
  5. There is a strong core of NGO activism that has helped raise awareness of IPCA and provided outreach that government agencies are unable to.
  6. Courts and judges presiding over abduction prevention cases are acting with increased prudence when determining whether a child is a target of IPCA, including determining if a child should be allowed to travel, an assortment of passport-related issues, etc.; and,
  7. The I CARE Foundation’s International Travel Child Consent Form has become a globally effective tool in preventing a child’s wrongful detention abroad while also protecting against the wrongful use of Article 12 and Article 13 b; and,
  8. There is increased cooperation amongst law enforcement to assist targeted parents of abduction; and,
  9. United States lawmakers and policy administrators are taking a proactive stance against IPCA and this stand is having a trickle down effect amongst other stakeholders including judges, law enforcement, and child therapist, etc.
  10. The social media blogosphere of parent-bloggers has increased awareness of IPCA.
PARENTAL CHILD ABDUCTION IS A SEVERE FORM OF CHILD ABUSE

According to leading experts who specialize in international parental child abduction, conclusive and unilateral opinion and fact demonstrates that parental child abduction of a targeted child is a cruel, criminal, and severe form of abuse and mistreatment regardless if the child is with one of their (abducting) parents. This includes the illegal act of international abduction, whereas, the child is unexpectedly uprooted from their home, their community, their immediate and extended family, and their country. Sadly, severe short and long-term psychological problems are prevalent for many abduction victims who survive their kidnapping experience. It is commonplace for a child to be emotionally sabotaged, whereas, the abducting parent will try to remove all bonds and attachments the child has with the other parent, thus, removing the child’s right to know the love of the other parent, and keep in tact their own identity. Too many children simply never come home and in certain cases a child’s abduction overseas has led to the death of the abducted child.

In June, 2013 the United States Department of Justice issued a report stating that children who are victims of parental child abduction face increased abuse, including severe physical and emotional abuse at the hands of their parent abductor.

We strongly point that filicide - parental child murder - is a real threat to all children of abduction.

In addition, a leader in the field of parental child abduction issues, Dr. Dorothy Huntington wrote an article titled Parental Kidnapping: A New Form of Child Abuse. Huntington contends that from the point of view of the child, “child stealing is child abuse.” According to Huntington, “in child stealing the children are used as both objects and weapons in the struggle between the parents which leads to the brutalization of the children psychologically, specifically destroying their sense of trust in the world around them.”

We recall the words of Ms. Patricia Hoff who currently oversees the United States Department of State's Hague Attorney Network, who previously stated, “Because of the harmful effects on children, parental kidnapping has been characterized as a form of “child abuse” while the acting Legal Director for the Parental Abduction Training and Dissemination Project, American Bar Association on Children and the Law. Ms. Hoff also had stated, “Abducted children suffer emotionally and sometimes physically at the hands of abductor-parents. Many children are told the other parent is dead or no longer loves them. Uprooted from family and friends, abducted children often are given new names by their abductor-parents and instructed not to reveal their real names or where they lived before.”

The I CARE Foundation agrees completely with the sentiments shared above.

REASONS WHY ONE PARENT CRIMINALLY ABDUCTS A CHILD

Studies have demonstrated that an unprecedented number of abductions have occurred where one parent took unilateral action to deprive the other parent of contact with their child. The majority of abducting parents will typically use the child as a tool to cause the targeted parent great pain and suffering. Their intent is simple: to make the other parent suffer as much as possible by depriving that targeted parent with the love and connection to their own child. Nearly every published study on this subject has concluded that an abducting parent has significant, and typically, long-term psychological problems and may in fact be a danger to their child.

We take the time to acknowledge that in certain cases of parental child abduction, a parent claims to have no other choice but to flee the other parent due to serious, grave, and ongoing forms of abuse. We acknowledge that in many abduction defenses found under Article 13 of The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, an abducting parent will often claim mental, emotional, and physical abuse by the other parent as part of their defense to sanction their criminal behavior of abduction. However, we must also acknowledge that domestic violence is a very real, measurable, and in many cases, an ongoing crime that has limited law enforcement safety controls. We acknowledge that there are parents who must flee for their and their child’s safety due to failures by law enforcement and courts to protect their safety, combined with an habitual abuser who aims to cause grave hurt to the targeted parent.

In addition, and understandably, family abductions occur at a higher rate during times of heightened stress such as separation or divorce and often involve custody issues and visitation problems. The sad fact is that a large number of marriages, estimated to be between 40% and 50%, in the U.S. end in divorce.

One of the many considerations that factor into the increase in total abductions indicates that economic difficulties in the United States and elsewhere are a measurable factor in the number of increases in separations and divorces. This added stress can lead to a parental cross-border abduction, particularly since we live in a global society, and the number of international relationships has increased dramatically.

While all children can be potential targets of a family abduction, the likelihood increases when that child has a parent with ties to a foreign country. According to the Juvenile and Family Court Journal Vol. 48, No. 2 titled Jurisdiction In Child Custody and Abduction Cases, “Parents who are citizens of another country (or who have dual citizenship with the U.S.) and also have strong ties to their extended family in their country of origin have long been recognized as abduction risks.” This increase in cultural diversity within the U.S. population has created challenges for our existing laws. Many U.S. born children-citizens fall victim to parental abduction when a parents’ union ends.

Across the U.S., states are struggling to address their archaic and outdated laws, and establish additional precautions to better protect their child-citizen population. Unquestionably, it is critical that child abduction prevention laws are passed in each state and upheld by the judiciary and law enforcement. Failure to do so will likely lead to the looming disaster that is already upon us.

IMMIGRATION MIGRATION AND ITS AFFECT ON CHILD ABDUCTION CASES

A report compiled by the renowned Washington-based Pew Hispanic Center reports that most immigrant groups are comprised of young families. The likelihood that a child will be born while the parents are present in the U.S. is high. Prior to 2007, data collected on parents of children under 18 only identified one parent, and a second parent could only be identified if they were married to the first parent. Currently, a second parent identifier is considered whether or not the parents are married to each other. The new data more accurately reflects the number of children living in the U.S. with at least one foreign-born parent.

In 2008 that meant that 22% of all children in the United States had at least one foreign-born parent. In fact, consider the following statistics compiled by the Center for Immigration Studies in its March 2007 analysis. Immigrants and their U.S. born children under age 18, as a share of population: California – 37.9%, Los Angles County – 50%, New York State – 27.9%, New York City – 46.7% and Florida – 27.9%.

It must be noted that although 31.3% of all immigrants originate from Mexico, other countries have significant entry numbers as well. Included in the March 2007 Current Population Survey (CPS) were statistics indicating that 17.6% of all immigrants were from East/Southeast Asia, 12.5% from Europe, 5.5% from South Asia, 3.5% from the Middle East, and Canada at 1.9%.

Traditionally, states such as California, New York, Florida, Texas, Illinois and Arizona have had large numbers of immigrants in their population. What is surprising is the trends in migration toward new centers of immigrant growth. The CPS prepared an analysis of states with statistically significant growth in immigrant population between 2000 and 2007. Most notably, Wyoming, which experienced a percentage increase of 180%, Tennessee at 160%, Georgia at 152.1%, and Alabama at 143.6%. The impact of unprecedented increases in immigrant migration is likely to create multiple challenges as states struggle to keep pace with their newest segment of population and their children.

Additionally, it has been well established that illegal aliens do not respond to surveys such as the US Census or the CPS. Because the U.S. government does not have accurate records of arrival and departures for individuals present illegally in the country, their numbers must be estimated, as there is no hard data to draw from. However, indirect means for establishing these figures are used, and they must be viewed with a considerable amount of uncertainty. In 2007 CPS, it was estimated that of the approximately 37.9 million immigrants present in the U.S., nearly 1 in 3 immigrants were present illegally.

It is important to note this segment of our population when discussing child abduction because when a child is born in the U.S. that child automatically is a U.S. citizen. While the available data gives us fairly accurate figures regarding the number of children born in the U.S. as well as those immigrants who are present legally, a number is impossible to compile accurately in relation to the unauthorized resident population.

In regards to children born to illegal immigrants, in the five-year period from 2003 to 2008, that number rose from 2.7 million to 4 million. The report published by the Pew Hispanic Centers reported that nationally the children of illegal immigrants now comprise 1 in 15 elementary and secondary students in the U.S. Additionally, in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada and Texas more than 1 in every 10 students in those states are the children of illegal immigrants.

The ability of state governments to prevent the abduction of children by family members could be drastically improved by comprehensive legislation. While aiming to protect all children, special consideration must be given to those children who may be at increased risk simply by virtue of their parentage. According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the resident population of the U.S. projected up to April 22, 2010 estimated that one international migrant enters the U.S. every 36 seconds. International travel has become commonplace and as more cross-cultural relationships develop children are born. A number of these relationships will end and may result in an increased risk of international abduction of the child. Attempting to retrieve a child who has been abducted and possibly hidden internationally is a near impossibility as a multitude of problems surface in cases such as these. Unfortunately, studies have proved 4 of 5 Americans drastically underestimate the threat of a family abduction. Statistically, it is a sobering thought when you become aware of the vast numbers of children that are criminally abducted each year. Preventative laws are a necessity as an immediate remedy to this unconscionable crime.

SUMMARY

IPCA remains a serious problem worldwide. The challenges of parental child abduction prevention and reunification have no border.  As an organization dedicated to preventing IPCA, we take note of the decline in the 2013 IPCA rate and acknowledge that since the leadership of the I CARE Foundation began extensive advocacy to combat IPCA, the overall outbound rate of IPCA against American children has declined by over 38%. In our efforts to raise awareness of IPCA amongst families worldwide, combined with our efforts associated with utilization of the Prevent Departure Program, the global use of the groundbreaking I CARE Foundation’s International Travel Child Consent Form, and our work to create and implement numerous state laws created to protect children, we believe that there is substantial positive change on the horizon.

The I CARE Foundation’s role in fighting IPCA has been measurable. We would also like to acknowledge that as far as working to protect children from abduction all advocates are in this together.

There remains a great deal of work to do.