In our last post, we began discussing the growing problem of parental child abduction. As we mentioned, recent data shows that there were at least 1,500 children abducted and taken to a foreign country by a parent that previously lived in the United States.

Experts say that once a child has been taken to another country, it is extremely difficult to get them back. Because of the 1980 Hague Convention, international law protects the rights of parents to bring their children back. Under that law, countries must work to speed up the process of sending abducted children under the age of 16 back to their country of "habitual residence" in order to resume court-ordered custody agreements.

Under president Obama's administration, there have been increased efforts to return children by increasing pressure on foreign countries. But even in the 71 countries that have signed onto the Hague accord, it is often a laborious process to get the children back home. That is especially the case for children taken to Mexico, where drug wars and civil war create fear among judges and cause court proceedings to get sidetracked or come to a standstill.

According to sources, there is currently a push from New Jersey Rep. Christopher Smith and eight other lawmakers to pass a law called the International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act. If the bill becomes law, it would require the president to issue an annual report of unresolved abduction cases and impose sanctions on countries that regularly fail to cooperate with the repatriation process.

Under federal law, international parental abduction is a serious offense. A parent who kidnaps their child and takes them to a foreign country with the intent to "obstruct a parent's custodial rights" can face up to three years in prison.

Source: Houston Chronicle, "Texas tragedy: Growing numbers of parents absconding overseas with children in custody disputes," 6 July 2011.