FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS: Daniel Keylin (Tillis)|(202) 224-6342 Ashley Schapitl (Feinstein)|(202) 224-9629 |
Senators Also Seek Commitment to Provide Training for Law Enforcement Officers to Secure Return of American Children
Every year, several hundred American children are abducted by one parent and brought to a foreign country, where they are isolated from their other parent, family members, and friends. Abduction can have a profound impact on a child’s mental, physical, and emotional well-being.
The International Parental Kidnapping Crime Act criminalizes the removal of a child from the United States with “the intent to obstruct the lawful exercise of parental rights.” Individuals found guilty of violating this statute are subject to criminal fines and the possibility of imprisonment of up to three years. These penalties provide powerful inducement for the taking parent to return a wrongfully taken or retained American child abroad.