When a child is born and the parents separate or divorce, one or both of the parents may have issues with the custody agreement. When Texas parents both want custody of the child, it can lead to disputes or even abductions. One father went so far as to take his daughter from a hospital and drive away.
The child custody incident occurred in Pittsburgh on Dec. 19. The 7-year-old girl was at a hospital undergoing a routine medical exam. Her mother, who has custody, took the girl to the appointment. The father arrived, choked the mother and took off with the girl.
Police released the man’s physical and vehicle descriptions to the public. They also called the 26-year-old father on his cellphone and tried to get him to discuss the situation at the local police station. The father finally showed up at the station several hours later. Police took him into custody and charged him with simple assault, child endangerment and violation of child custody orders. The girl was looked over at the hospital but was unharmed.
Parents should act in the best interests of their children. Fighting over custody and basically kidnapping a child can be a traumatic experience. If the father really wanted custody of the girl, then he should have discussed this possibility with the mother and court. There is always the opportunity to modify a custody order. The parents could have agreed on joint custody and visitation rights. Now the father faces criminal charges for inflicting harm on the mother and taking the child without the mother’s permission.
Source:
CBS Pittsburgh, “Father Takes Child From Children’s Hospital During Custody Dispute” Bob Allen, Dec. 19, 2013
