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Case arises involving alleged international parental child abduction

On Behalf of | May 4, 2012 | Child Custody

Child custody/visitation is a very important matter which can sometimes give rise to some complicated legal issues. One thing related to child custody that has become an increasingly major issue in many states, including Texas, in recent years is international parental child abduction. Such abductions can be extremely impactful and attempts by the parent whose children have been abducted to get their children returned to the U.S. can give rise to many complicated and thorny legal issues.

Recently, a case involving alleged international parental child abduction has arisen in Kansas. The case involves a man and a woman who got married in 1996. The couple eventually divorced.

The couple has three children. After the divorce, the couple’s children lived in Kansas with the man, with the woman having visitation rights. Reportedly, this February, the man moved with the children from Kansas to Gaza. Gaza reportedly is where the man is initially from.

Under the terms of the couple’s divorce decree, the man is allowed to move the children out of the U.S. if the woman gives him permission to do this. The man claims that he told the woman that he was going to move the children to Gaza, that the woman gave permission for him to do this and thus that his moving the children from Kansas to Gaza complied with the couple’s divorce decree.

The woman, however, claims that the man deceived her and did not inform her that he was going to move the children to Gaza. Thus, the woman claims that the move was illegal.

Authorities in the U.S. also claim that the move was illegal. Reportedly, Kansas charges of aggravated interference with parental custody and federal charges of fleeing to avoid prosecution have been brought against the man.

According the WVIR-TV article which reported this story, there are many political and legal hurdles that could get in the way of attempts by the woman to get her children back into the U.S. and attempts by the U.S. government to bring the man into custody.

One wonders what will ultimately happen in this case.

Source: WVIR-TV, “US claims father illegally moved kids to Gaza,” Roxana Hegeman, May 2, 2012

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