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.
This letter is the latest step taken by Senators Tillis and Feinstein to increase awareness of international parental child abduction. Earlier this year, they sent a letter to Secretary Pompeo urging him to make more relentless and effective efforts to bring abducted American children back home to the United States by using all of the tools and resources at the State Department’s disposal and introduced a bipartisan resolution to combat international parental child abduction.
Read the full letter HERE.