Defense in Hague kidnapping cases.
Posted on Jan 3, 2016
Defense arguments in Hague kidnapping cases.
Q I’m not worried about my being able to prove that my wife wrongfully removed our three children from our home in Bonneval-sur-arc, France to Massachusetts.
But I’d like to know what defenses she can raise to avoid an order that the children must be returned home.
A.C., Bonneval-sur-arc, France.
A In order to
prevent the return of your children to France, your wife
needs to prove one of the following seven defenses
permitted under the Hague Convention on the Civil
Aspects of International Child Abduction.
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You consented to the removal.
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You agreed to the children remaining where the children have been taken. (Article 13 (a)).
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You were not exercising your custodial rights at the time of the wrongful removal or retention.
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If returned, the child would be exposed to psychological or physical harm or otherwise placed in an “intolerable situation” (Article 13 (b)).
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If the children are of an age and maturity such that it is appropriate to take account of the child’s views (Article 13 (b)).
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That the child’s human rights and fundamental freedom would be abridged if they were returned (Article 20).
If the proceeding
requesting a return was not filed in court in the
place where the child was taken within one year
after the wrongful removal or retention and “the
child is now settled in its new environment”
(Article 12).
As quickly as possible, if not sooner, the
left-behind parent must start a court case in the
place where the children were taken. This assumes
the left-behind parent knows where the children were
taken –something known most of the time. Ask the
French Central Authority to put you in touch with
its USA counterpart and to get you the names of
Massachusetts lawyers experienced in this kind of
kidnapping case.
Also ask the children’s pediatrician for an
affidavit that when the children came for their
appointments, you were with them. Get your friends
and the children’s teachers to write affidavits
saying you often played with the children, took them
to various activities, school, etc. Prepare your own
detailed affidavit. Parents who just do a few things
with their children get court orders sending their
children back home.
The goal of the Convention is to quickly get
children back to their habitual residence. That is
where the witnesses with the best and most recent
evidence are located. That’s why the local court in
the child’s habitual residence court is best able to
decide custody and the related issues.
You can get a lot more information about this by
going to my website,
nissenbaumhickey.com, use the
key word kidnapping, or link to Amazon to buy my ebook titled
“Kidnapping: How to Prevent it How
to get your kid back”.
Be patient. Cool your jets while your wife does
everything she can to delay. She’s a rookie at this.
But this isn’t the court’s first rodeo.