Convention tackles child abduction fear

Family breakdown triggers child abduction

Experts are meeting in Leicester to tackle parental child abduction in British Asian and Middle Eastern communities.

The conference at the Islamic Foundation in Markfield will hear from a number of people who have had their children taken.

It is hosting the two day event in collaboration with the Reunite International Child Abduction Centre and the Home Office.

Delegates will discuss parental child abduction in the light of cross-cultural relations and the breakdown of marriage and the family.

Mothers stay due to abduction threats

The conference will also discuss family life and the rights of a child when a parental relationship falls apart.

One mother, whose child was abducted by his father said: "I kept thinking how scared my son must be feeling, because he had never been separated from me before.

"I kept on thinking how frightened he was, how worried he would be.

"Was he (his father) feeding him, was he looking after him, what was he doing, was he beating him up?"

Fear of abduction

Denise Carter, Director of Reunite is trying to make it harder for parents to abduct their children.

"We are trying to stop these abductions occurring, because unfortunately many of these children do not return.

"It is used to control the parent, 'if you leave me I will take the child away.'

"Often mothers stay in the relationship because of the fear of abduction.

"There are lots of things you can do as a parent to reduce the risk of abduction, such as keeping passports and any documentation for passport application safe."