What is a child abduction?
When an international family conflict escalates, it can lead to a child abduction, which occurs when children are taken to or kept in a country other than their normal residence by a parent against the will of the other.
To prevent and resolve these abductions, Missing Children Europe coordinates the network of Cross-Border Family Mediators - a growing network of ca. 200 trained, bi-cultural mediators that represent 40 countries across the world. They are trained to engage directly with parents to find a solution that reflects the specific family situation.
Facts & Figures
Over 1100
of International Child Abductions are reported each year.
75%
of solved cases are thanks to either full or partial mediation agreements.
Mediation is 60%
cheaper and 7 times faster than a court proceeding (on average 43 days instead of 18 months).
Resources
For professionals
iCare E-Platform for professionals working on ICA – Check it out
INCLUDE – Guide to Good Practice: Recommendations based on the views of children and young people to professionals involved in international child abductions – Download
Country Report: Cyprus – Download
Country Report: Hungary – Download
Country Report: Belgium– Download
Methodological guidelines for child participation in the INCLUDE project – Download
Legal Framework and Literature Study – Download
E-well: Summary of the research findings – Download
E-well: Full research report – Download
E-well: Country profiles – Download
E-well Recommendations – Download
The Voice: Summary of the psychological research results – Download
The Voice: Full psychological research report – Download
The Voice: Summary of the legal research results – Download
The Voice: Full focus group research report – Download
The Voice: Training for professionals on the child in international child abduction cases (presentation) – Download
#SuiBambiniNonSiTratta – The invisible disappearance that makes noise. [Italian] – Download
ITAKA’s Centre for Support and Mediation website [Polish] – Check it out
For parents
iCare chatbot – Check it out
INCLUDE – Guide to Good Practice: Recommendations based on the views of children and young people to professionals involved in international child abductions – Download
Country Report: Cyprus – Download
Country Report: Hungary – Download
Country Report: Belgium– Download
The Voice: Summary of the psychological research results – Download
The Voice: Position Paper on the voice of the child in cases of international child abduction – Download
#SuiBambiniNonSiTratta – The invisible disappearance that makes noise. [Italian] – Download
Legal guide for families at risk of parental abduction [Polish] – Download
Psychological guide for families at risk of parental abduction [Polish] – Download
Infographics on parental abduction cases during summer holiday [Polish] – Download
ITAKA’s Centre for Support and Mediation website [Polish] – Check it out
For children
iCare chatbot – Check it out
Projects
iCare
The project aims to contribute to a better understanding and case handling of international child abduction cases.
INCLUDE
The project aims to enhance the wellbeing of children at all stages of an international child abduction: from the start of the case until the enforcement and after return.
VOICE
The project focused on informing judges, legal professionals and mediators on how to assess the best interest of the child in International Child Abduction cases.
E-WELL
This project involved a large-scale research study on the psychological effects of an international child abduction on the wellbeing of abducted children.
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