News: Boston Marathon: Two bomb blasts at finish line

April 16, 2013

Source: BBC – ABC News

Two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon have injured a number of people. Video and photographs from Boston show a scene of confusion, with emergency services descending on the scene.

See the video here: BBC

Two bombs erupted at the famed Boston Marathon today, killing two people and injuring at least 78 while turning the race into what lookedlike a war zone.

Within hours of the explosions, law enforcement officials, including those with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, were questioning a potential person of interest at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where many of the injured were taken, sources told ABC News.

The casualties were caused by two bombs that exploded almost simultaneously near the race finish line on Boylston Street before 3 p.m. The area was crowded with runners and spectators, and thousands of runners were still completing the race at the time of the first explosion.

Police said that two people were killed. At least 78 were taken to hospitals with injuries, including some which have been described as amputations and severe burns.

Watch ABC News’ Live Coverage of the Boston Marathon Explosions

Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis declined to say whether he thought the devices were acts of terrorism, but said, “You can reach your own conclusion based on what happened.”

According to law enforcement sources, the first bomb exploded at the Marathon Sports running store, and blew out windows in four nearby buildings, injuring 15 to 20 individuals. The second blast occurred about 50 to 100 yards away, severely injuring more bystanders, Davis said.

Read the whole story and latest news here: ABC News

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Research – Parental Child Abduction

January 16, 2013

Source: Victims Of Violence 

INTRODUCTION

It is estimated that a child goes missing every 9 minutes in Canada. When we think of child abduction, we often picture a stranger snatching our child as they walk home from school. However, the majority of child abductions are committed by someone the child knows and, in many cases, the abductor is a parent. There were 237 parental abductions in 2009, compared to 50 stranger abductions. Parental Abduction is defined as, “the wilful taking of a child with the intent of depriving the other parent, guardian or any other person having lawful care and charge of that child of the possession of that child.”(RCMP). This may at first seem like a benign form of abduction, but it is important to realize that parental abduction is a crime and can have a serious impact on the left-behind parent, the family, and the abducted child.

MOTIVES FOR PARENTAL ABDUCTION

Parents may abduct their children for several different reasons. A common motive is for revenge and as a power play. These parents believe that they have not been treated fairly in a custody battle and may feel misrepresented in court. They will take their child both to hurt the other parent, and simply to assert that they are capable of doing so. Some parents abduct their child out of fear for the child’s safety. This is common in cases where a spouse, usually the wife, is abused by her partner. She will usually take her child to protect him or her from abuse. Shares custody parents may fear that their child is subject to neglect and endangerment when with the other parent.

PROFILE OF ABDUCTORS

There are a number of factors that may contribute to parental abduction including; socioeconomic status, psychological and sociological issues, the relationship between the parent and the child, and the child’s age. The following is a list of characteristics that theRCMP have complied in an attempt to create a general overview of the common parent abductor:

• Both mother and father are equally likely to abduct their child. Mothers tend to do so after a court order while fathers tend to abduct the child before the court order is made.
• Mothers tend to keep their abducted child longer than fathers. But most parental abductions are short and are resolved in about 7 days.
• Parent abductors tend to be between the ages of 28 and 40.
• Although socio-economic factors vary from case to case, fathers tend to be employed and mothers tend not to be.
• Most abducted children are young, between the ages of 3 and 7. Children who are taken out of the country are usually older, over 8 years of age.
• Male and female children are equally likely to be abducted.
• Children are usually abducted from the home, and abductions usually take place during weekends or holidays (summer, Christmas break, March break.).
• Various modes of transportation are used and accomplices (commonly other family members or a current partner) are used in about 50% of the cases.
• Physical or sexual abuse is not common and only occurs in a very small percentage of these abductions.
• Most ‘left-behind’ parents report the abduction immediately; however some will delay reporting the incident.

Although each case has different circumstances, this general profile provides police with information that will help them to locate and recover the missing child.

ABDUCTION LAWS

Parental Abduction is a criminal offence, and can be found under section 283(1) in the Criminal Code which states:

Everyone who, being the parent, guardian or person having the lawful care or charge of a person under the age of fourteen years, takes, entices away, conceals, detains, receives or harbours that person, whether or not there is a custody order in relation to that person made by a court anywhere in Canada, with intent to deprive a parent or guardian, or any other person who has the lawful care or charge of the possession of that person, is guilty of

1. an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years; or
2. an offence punishable on summary conviction.

There are two exceptions to this section:

1. No one can be found guilty of the abduction offence (under sections 281 to 283) if they are able to establish that there was consent by the parent, guardian or other person having lawful possession, care or charge of that young person.
2. No one can be found guilty of an offence under sections 280 to 283 if the court is satisfied that the abduction of the young person was “… necessary to protect the young person from danger of imminent harm or if the person charged with the offence was escaping from danger of imminent harm.”

Importantly, a parent who abducts their child cannot make a defence by claiming that the child consented to or suggested the abduction.

Section 282(2) pertains to abduction in contravention of the custody provisions set out in a custody order and is essentially the same as what has been set out in section 283(1). However, if an individual is not proven guilty under Section 282, they can still be found guilty under Section 283(1).

INTERNATIONAL CHILD ABDUCTIONS

International child abductions involve either a parent abducting their child and taking them out of the country, or a parent in another country who prevents the child from returning home to the other parent. Revenge is often a strong motive behind this type of abduction, and the abducting parent will often try to turn the child against the other parent by convincing him/her that the other parent does not care for or love them. If you are worried that your child’s other parent may take him/her out of the country, you may notify a local passport office to have your child’s name placed on the passport control list which will put officials on alert (you need to provide certain documentation to do this). If your child is a dual-citizen, however, this may not be sufficient. The media can have either a mixed influence in abduction cases. Media attention may assist in fuelling the international search for a missing child, or it may cause the abducting parent to go into hiding.

THE HAGUE CONVENTION

Over 30 years ago, the international community recognized the need for a program to ensure cooperation between countries as a way to resolve and prevent international parental abduction cases. Canada was the second country to ratify this Convention which came into effect on December 1, 1983. The Hague convention has two objectives. The first is to ensure the prompt return of an abducted child to his/her home country and the second objective is to ensure that the rights of custody/ access to the child under the law of one contracting state are respected in the other contracting states.

The Hague convention may be applicable if:

1. The child was a resident of Canada immediately before the abduction
2. The wrongful abduction was in breach of rights of custody/access to the child
3. At the time of the abduction, the convention applied between Canada and the country to which the abducted child was taken.
4. The child is under 16 years of age.

If the convention applies to the country (or area of the country) to which a child has been taken, authorities can provide a parent with the appropriate paperwork. The Canadian central authority will forward the documents to the foreign central authority that will then pass them along to the local judicial authority. If the child will not be returned voluntarily, a court hearing may take place. If all conditions are met and no exceptions apply, the foreign court will order the return of the child.

There are some exceptions to the Hague convention:

• The accused parent is able to prove that the other parent consented to the child’s removal/ later acquiesced to it or was not exercising custody rights when the child was abducted/ retained.
• The child may be at risk of physical or psychological harm or be placed in an intolerable situation if returned.
• The child objects to being returned and is old enough and mature enough to have his/her opinion taken into account.

There are no costs associated with The Hague Convention application process; however there may be costs associated with the legal proceedings and travel costs.

There are currently 80 countries who have signed the Hague convention: Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, China (Hong Kong), China (Macao), Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, FYR of Macedonia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.

Note: In some countries, the Hague Convention pertains to only certain provinces, states, or territories of the country.

EFFECTS ON THE VICTIMS

The Left-Behind Family

The first thing that the left-behind family experiences is shock and disbelief. They cannot believe that their loved one has been taken away by a fellow family member. Panic as to the whereabouts of the child and how to get proper assistance will cause both the left-behind parent and any left-behind siblings to experience serious emotional distress.

The left-behind parent often has an incredibly difficult time maintaining work commitments while searching for their child. Feelings of anger, resentment, fear, anxiety, despair, loneliness, and guilt are common emotions. Most left-behind parents also suffer from disturbances in sleep patterns, loss of appetite, and severe depression. The emotional turmoil might also manifest in physical symptoms such as re-occurring headaches and nausea. And in some situations, the parent may turn to drugs or alcohol to handle the pain.

Any left-behind siblings also experience the pain of the loss of their brother/sister. Like the left-behind parents, the siblings also experience a variety of emotions and physical ailments. Since their parent is so focused on the return of the kidnapped child, the other children may feel neglected and develop hostile feelings towards the kidnapped child for taking all of the attention.

The Abducted Child

Despite the fact that the abducted child is with their parent or guardian, the experience can be terrifying and cause long-term damage. Often these children will live the life of a fugitive; dragged around by their parent from place to place in an effort to avoid authorities. The distress of suddenly losing friends and family and having to deal with constantly changing environments is an incredibly stressful experience. Even when the child is safely returned he/she will still be affected by the experience. A fear of abandonment and loss of trust are common issues for children who have been kidnapped by a parent. They may also suffer from depression, loneliness, excessive fearfulness, helplessness and anger. There are a number of mental disorders that are commonly associated with parental child abductions such as separation anxiety disorder, ADHD, PTSD, eating disorders, learning disabilities and conduct disorder. As the experience of abduction can have such a traumatic effect on the child, it is important that the parent or guardian get the child proper help as soon as he or she is returned.

HELPFUL TIPS

One of the most important things a parent can do to help avoid parental abduction is to remain on good terms with the other parent and try to remain on good terms with the child’s other grandparents. If you expect that your child is at risk of abduction, make sure to talk to him or her. Explain how the custody situation works, teach them how to use the phone (especially 911 and long distance), make sure that your children know that you love them, and listen to them – information they provide may be your first clue. Keep track of what they wear on a daily basis. Keep records of all important information and store it in a safe place that is unknown or inaccessible to the other parent. As indicated earlier, it is also possible to add your child to the passport control list.

If your child is abducted by the other parent, get in touch with local authorities immediately. Provide them with any information you have and limit access to your home until law enforcement has collected any possible evidence. Contact the birth certificate office to block any application for a birth certificate by the abducting parent (you will need specific documentation to do this). Contact any search organizations such as Child Find and register your child as missing. If you plan to go to the media, ask the police for help and advice on the best way to do so. Most importantly, take care of yourself and your family, you need to be strong for your child and any other children left behind.

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internationalen Kindesentführung – Entführt Kinder

Angelika Werthmann zum Übereinkommen über die zivilrechtlichen Aspekte

 (Aussprache) – 19.11.

Er hat seine eigenen vier Kinder entführt, weil er ihnen ein besseres Leben bieten will. Das beschauliche niedersächsische Hermannsburg war dem Christen Axel H. nicht gut genug – in Afrika will er sich ein neues Leben aufbauen. Die Geschichte einer außergewöhnlichen Radikalisierung.

Der Weg nach Hermannsburg führt durch endlos scheinende Alleen, unter wuchtigen Baumkronen hindurch, durch die sich die Junisonne zwängt. Vorbei an Kartoffelfeldern, Klatschmohn, kleinen Fachwerkhäusern und großen Bauernhöfen. Provinz in ihren schönsten Farben. Auf besprühten Bettlaken werden Scheunen- und Schützenfeste angekündigt. Man könnte sagen: Hier ist die Welt noch in Ordnung. Oder wie die Leute in der Lüneburger Heide sagen: “Wenn die Welt untergeht, geh’ nach Hermannsburg, da hast du 20 Jahre Zeit, um dich darauf vorzubereiten.”

ANZEIGE

Von den 8000 Einwohnern der Gemeinde sind schätzungsweise 90 Prozent getauft und noch in derKirche. Sie besuchen regelmäßig die Gottesdienste, an Feiertagen bleiben nur wenige Reihen in den Gotteshäusern frei. Die Scheidungsrate ist niedriger als im Bundesdurchschnitt, die Geburtenrate höher. Der Glauben ist in der Gemeinde fest verankert.

Axel H. reichte das nicht. Der 37-Jährige, in Hermannsburg geboren und aufgewachsen, gilt als christlicher Fundamentalist. Er wollte seine vier Kinder in einem strengeren Glauben erziehen, entführte die beiden Jungen und Mädchen am Ostersonntag, flog mit ihnen zuerst nach Ägypten, reiste dann in den Sudan. 70 Prozent der Bevölkerung sind dort muslimisch, Christen werden verfolgt, nur im Süden lebt eine streng religiöse christliche Minderheit. Nach Axel H. wird mit internationalem Haftbefehl gefahndet.

Der Fall ist außergewöhnlich: Derzeit sind etwa 300 Kinder beim Bundeskriminalamt registriert, die von Vater oder Mutter ins Ausland entführt wurden. In allen Fällen ist das Zielland das Heimatland des jeweiligen Elternteils.

Außenminister Guido Westerwelle sagte am Freitag im südsudanesischen Dschuba, es gebe Hinweise, dass sich Axel H. inzwischen wieder in Ägypten befinde. Sein Amtskollege im Sudan, Ali Karti, habe ihm die volle Kooperation und Unterstützung der Behörden in dem Fall zugesagt.

Die Botschaft in Kairo sei eingeschaltet und stehe mit den dortigen Behörden in engem Kontakt, sagte eine Sprecherin des Auswärtigen Amtes. Man bemühe sich darum, die Kinder zurückzuholen.

Zu Hause in Hermannsburg wohnen seine von ihm getrennt lebende Frau, Mutter der vier Kinder, und seine Eltern – tief verzweifelt und voller Angst um Jonas, 8, Benjamin, 6, Mirjam, 5, und Lisa, 4.

Hans-Heinrich Heine steht ihnen zur Seite. Er ist seit acht Jahren Pastor der Großen Kreuzkirche in der Mitte Hermannsburgs, einer selbständigen Gemeinde des Kirchenbezirks Niedersachsen-West. Ein freundlicher Mann, 39 Jahre alt, der aus der Region stammt und auch Plattdeutsch sprechen kann. Er sitzt in seinem Arbeitszimmer in einem ehrwürdigen Fachwerkhaus, umgeben von Büchern und Ordnern. Die meisten seiner Gemeindemitglieder kennt er persönlich, ihre Sorgen, ihre Nöte, ihren Kummer.

Axel H. verbietet Gottesdienst, Chor, Kindergarten

Seit Wochen kommen immer wieder Kinder zum Pfarrhaus, drücken den Klingelknopf auf der blau-weißen Porzellankachel, auf der “Heine” steht. Es sind Freunde und Schulkameraden von Jonas, Benjamin, Mirjam und Lisa. In ihren kleinen Händen halten sie Münzen aus ihren Sparschweinen oder einen Fünf-Euro-Schein. Sie wollen sich an der Spendenaktion beteiligen, die die Suche nach den Kindern finanziell unterstützen sollwww.grossekreuz.de.

Pastor Heine lernt das Ehepaar H. kennen, als es seinen ersten Sohn Jonas taufen will. Er ist es gewohnt, dass Eltern ihre Kinder segnen lassen, ohne diesen Anlass zu hinterfragen. Bereits beim Taufgespräch mit Katja und Axel H. fällt ihm daher auf, dass der Vater diesen Schritt sehr ernst nimmt, er viele theologische Fragen stellt, sich mit dem Thema Glaube und Gott intensiv beschäftigt hat.

Eineinhalb Jahre später soll Benjamin, der zweite Sohn, getauft werden. Axel H. hat sich verändert, seine Zweifel an der lutherischen Theologie sind noch größer geworden. “Man merkte bei ihm schon sehr deutliche Vorbehalte gegenüber der Kindtaufe”, erinnert sich Heine. Axel H. habe sich diskussionsfreudig gezeigt, nicht in unangenehmer Weise, aber hartnäckig. Benjamin wird trotzdem getauft.

Doch Axel H. kapselt sich ab, meidet den Gottesdienst. Wenn er in Kontakt tritt mit Pastor Heine, dann nur um intensive theologische Streitgespräche zu führen. Den anderen Kirchgängern wirft er Heuchelei vor.

Er schreibt Briefe, übt scharfe Kritik an der Kirche. Irgendwann antwortet ihm Heine nicht mehr. 2005 landet auf seinem Schreibtisch der schriftliche Kirchenaustritt des Familienvaters.

“Aus seiner Sicht war dieser Schritt nur die logische Konsequenz zum Ende der Debatte”, sagt Pastor Heine. “Axel H. hat sich mit der Kirche nicht mehr identifiziert. Jede Form von institutioneller Kirche war ihm ein Übel.” Seine beiden Töchter, die kurz hintereinander geboren werden, lässt er nicht mehr taufen, obwohl es ein Herzenswunsch seiner Ehefrau ist.

Wie kam er an die Pässe, Geburtsurkunden und Sparbücher?

Die Ehe beginnt zu kriseln. Axel H. entwickelt regelrechte Wahnvorstellungen, zitiert Bibelstellen, die er jedoch aus dem Kontext gerissen hat, und verbietet seinen Eltern, mit den Enkeln in den Kindergottesdienst zu gehen. Seiner Frau untersagt er, die Kinder in den Chor oder den evangelischen Kindergarten gehen zu lassen. Alles, was mit der Kirche zu tun hat, duldet er nicht. Katja H. fügt sich, sie will ihre Ehe retten.

Es gelingt ihr nicht. Im Jahr 2007 zieht Axel H. weg aus Hermannsburg, er verschwindet regelrecht von der Bildfläche, verliert seinen Job als Krankenpfleger. Aufgrund seiner fanatischen Tendenzen darf er seine Kinder nur unter Aufsicht eines Jugendamtsmitarbeiters sehen. Doch auch der kann nicht verhindern, dass er die Kinder verunsichert. Oft kehren sie regelrecht konfus zu ihrer Mutter zurück.

Axel H. hält sich mit Aushilfsjobs über Wasser, verbreitet seine radikalen Ansichten im Internet – und muss gleichzeitig den Plan geschmiedet haben, seine Kinder zu entführen. Teil des Plans muss gewesen sein, sich im Umgang mit den Kindern so zu verändern, dass bei Treffen keine Mitarbeiter des Jugendamtes mehr dabei sein müssen. Wie er das anstellte, dazu wollen die Ermittler nichts sagen.

Am Ostersonntag holt Axel H. seine Kinder zu einer Fahrradtour ab. Allein radelt er mit ihnen über die Felder zu einem Auto, fährt zum Flughafen Hannover und fliegt nach Ägypten.

Katja H. wird später sagen, sie habe ein merkwürdiges Gefühl gehabt, als er mit den Kindern losgefahren sei. Warum hat sie ihn fahren lassen? Wie kam er an die Pässe, die Geburtsurkunden, die Sparbücher?

“Katja hat sie ihm sicher nicht freiwillig gegeben”, sagt Pastor Heine. Auch die Ermittler vermuten, dass er die Papiere bereits bei Besuchen in der Vergangenheit heimlich an sich genommen, die Mutter das Fehlen jedoch nicht bemerkt hat.

Die Mutter wird rund um die Uhr von der Polizei betreut

Die Familie H. stammt aus Hermannsburg, ist seit Generationen integriert und engagiert. Die Entführung der vier Kinder macht in dem Ort schnell die Runde, die Anteilnahme ist enorm, die Hilflosigkeit enorm.

Pastor Heine ist selbst Vater dreier Kinder und doch sagt er: “Keiner von uns kann wirklich nachempfinden, was Katja gerade durchmacht. Und auch können wir ihr ihren Kummer nicht abnehmen.”

ANZEIGE

Nach langem Zögern und nach ausführlichen Gesprächen mit den Ermittlern hat sich Katja H. entschieden, an die Öffentlichkeit zu gehen. Bei “sternTV” trat sie persönlich auf. “Nur die Hoffnung, meine Kinder wiederzusehen, hält mich aufrecht”, sagte sie dort und beschrieb ihre qualvollen Stunden der Verzweiflung. Wie ihre Kinder in Afrika wohl leben? Was sie essen? Wie sie an Trinkwasser kommen?

Katja H. wird von Polizeibeamten betreut, sucht Zuflucht bei Freunden und ihrer Familie, geht halbtags arbeiten, auch um sich abzulenken. “Sie ist jetzt an einem Punkt, wo sie Ruhe braucht. Sie kann nicht mehr”, sagt Pastor Heine.

“Bild”-Leser trafen Axel H. zufällig im Sudan, fotografierten die Kinder. Erst nach ihrer Rückkehr in Deutschland erfuhren sie von dem Fall. Katja H. hat es zur Kenntnis genommen, beruhigt hat sie eher die Nachricht, dass ihr Mann wieder in Ägypten sein soll.

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Parental Abduction – Child Recovery Services

September 16, 2012

“After all my years of experience as Worldwide Medical Director for the worlds largest medical assistance company, I found only ABP World capable of providing the unique service of non-violent recovery of  an abducted child.

It is very difficult to find a company like ABP World that can provide the experience, honesty, integrity, and assets to actually recover an abducted child safely and at a reasonable cost. I hold ABP World in highest regard and recommend them whole heartedly. The world is simply a better place because of the work they do”. 

Tragically International Child Abduction has reached global epidemic proportions.  According to leading experts the increase in inter-racial marriages and relationships  will, in the future, lead to a significant rise in the number of children born to parents of different nationalities

As is true for all relationships, a statistically significant number of these marriages or partnerships will also end in divorce. All too often, following the breakup of a marriage, one of the parents will abduct a child of that relationship against the wishes of the other parent,  frequently removing them to a country where the child has probably never lived. This is called “International Parental Child Abduction”.  Although there are various civil remedies available to parents of abducted children, the challenges they face are enormous, including first and foremost, locating  the child.

Unfortunately for the majority of targeted parents, the financial burden involved in recovery and litigation falls upon their shoulders. With tens of thousands of children abducted by parents each year, the reality is that too many of these children never come home.  ABP World Group is dedicated to assisting those parents who need help in locating, rescuing, and returning  their abducted child home safely.

Our intelligence and investigative capabilities combined with our ability to dispatch personnel to most locations in the world offer a safe and strategic solution to protecting what is most important to you, your child.

Unfortunately in this present climate parental kidnapping occurs all too frequently and we are here to help you through this extremely traumatic period.

We are aware that parental child abduction can be difficult to resolve, but through the use of professional operatives with the skills and expertise necessary to find a resolution. We are here to help you.

ABP World Group’s successful recovery and re-unification strategies rely on the use of all the means available  including, but not limited to:

. Electronic Forensic Foot printing Investigations

. Intelligence Gathering

. Information Specialists/Skip Tracing

. Evidence Procurement

. Interview/Evaluation

. Surveillance Special Ops

. Non-Combatant Evacuation Ops

. Domestic Support

. International Operations

. Maritime/Land/Air transport

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US pastor convicted for aiding parental abduction

August 16, 2012

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

BURLINGTON, Vermont: An Amish-Mennonite pastor has been found guilty in the US of abetting international parental kidnapping, in a case involving same-sex unions and conservative Christian opposition to homosexuality.

The pastor, Kenneth Miller, faces up to three years in prison. A federal jury in Burlington, Vermont, took four hours to convict him of helping Lisa Miller (no relation) flee to Nicaragua with her daughter, Isabella Miller-Jenkins, in September 2009 to evade court-ordered visits with Ms Miller’s former partner in a civil union in Vermont.

After the verdict, about 100 of Kenneth Miller’s supporters from the Beachy Amish-Mennonite sect, the women in traditional long dresses and head scarves, gathered outside the courthouse to sing Amazing Grace and other hymns.

After splitting up with the former partner, Janet Jenkins, in 2003, Ms Miller declared herself a born-again Christian, denounced homosexuality, began interfering with visits and tried to strip Ms Jenkins of her legal rights as a parent. Ms Miller moved to Virginia and, in 2009, as a frustrated Family Court judge in Vermont threatened to transfer custody of the girl, disappeared with her daughter.

The Beachy Amish-Mennonites regard homosexual behaviour as a sin.

In the trial, Miller’s lawyer, Joshua Autry, did not dispute the evidence that Miller had helped arrange for Ms Miller and her daughter to fly from Canada to Nicaragua and obtain shelter from missionaries in his sect. But Mr Autry argued that Miller did not realise Ms Miller was defying court orders at the time of the flight.

The prosecutors cited abundant evidence that Miller tried to hide what Ms Miller was doing – he specified that their flights should not touch down on American soil and gave the pair traditional Mennonite garb to wear as a disguise.

His case was also undermined by the reluctant testimony of a fellow Amish-Mennonite pastor in Canada, who said he had refused to transport Ms Miller and Isabella across the US-Canada border because he feared they might be breaking the law.

Miller had to give up his passport, but will remain free for now.

The judge gave the defence 30 days to file post-trial motions.

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Father from US wins custody of child abducted by Japanese mother in Osaka high court

June 16, 2012

Source: The Japan Daily Press

Imagine the plight of an abducted child…abducted by their own parent. For reasons best known to them, couples of failed marriages, and who belong to different nationalities, prefer to kidnap their child to their home country, rather than going through the legal channels for custody. The latest news in this event is the case of a Nicaraguan national living in the US and his estranged Japanese wife, who fled to Japan with their 9-year-old daughter.

The marriage didn’t work out so the 44-year-old mother, thought it better to bring back her daughter to Japan, in spite of the husband being granted custody in a U.S. suit over the couple’s divorce. To make matters worse, the U.S. authorities arrested the Japanese mother in April last year, when she hopped over to Hawaii to renew her green card. She was later released after she surrendered her rights over her daughter.

Apparently the mother sought justice through the Itami branch of the Kobe Family Court in March last year. They ended up granting her custody, but the Osaka High Court has overturned the ruling, stating the girl is accustomed to her life in the US and keeping that it in mind, she must continue to live with the father. The bottom line is, that although Japan has agreed to consider the Hague Treaty, things will not be in favor of the abducted children until Japan avails the facilities of the treaty. Till then, the poor children bear the brunt of their parent’s silly actions.

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Scottish author recounts his kids’ abduction to Japan

June 16, 2012

Source: Japantimes

LONDON — A Scottish author has published a book about cross-border parental child abductions that weaves his personal tale of abandonment by a Japanese wife and the loss of his children into the tale.

Victim’s viewpoint: Douglas Galbraith, who in a new book on international parental child abduction recounts how his Japanese wife seized their two children and fled Scotland, works at his home in Edinburgh last month. KYODO

In “My son, My son,” Douglas Galbraith describes his efforts to cope after his two sons, Makoto and Satomi, were taken from Scotland to Japan in 2003 by his wife, Tomoko, following strains in their relationship. The boys were aged 4 and 6 at the time and he has not been able to see them since.

After divorce proceedings were later initiated in Japan, Galbraith, 46, was allowed to phone his sons once a fortnight while the case was ongoing. But he found the conversations strained, as the children gradually lost their English-language skills. All contact with them ceased 3½ years ago.

His book highlights the powerlessness of abandoned spouses fighting for the return of their abducted children, and the ways in which Japanese courts are allegedly biased against foreign fathers, according to Galbraith, a full-time author whose previous works include “A Winter in China” and “The Rising Sun.”

Galbraith also expresses skepticism over any positive outcome from Japan signing the Hague convention on international parental child abductions, which in effect requires countries to return children immediately to their country of habitual residence.

A number of Japanese women living overseas have fled from their husbands and taken their children home with them, prompting Western governments to urge Tokyo to become a party to the treaty.

Galbraith said that while the story is intended as a comprehensive study of the way children are treated by adults, he also hopes his own sons — now teenagers being raised in Osaka — will read it.

“It’s like a message in a bottle: an attempt to re-establish communication and leave something behind,” he said in a recent interview. “I hope this can repair some of the damage. I don’t know what they have been told about me.”

Galbraith recounts arriving home in Fife, Scotland, one night and finding his wife and children gone. He said the relationship had been “under strain” and that he feared his wife might seize the children and return to Japan as she had become “obsessed” with maintaining the children’s Japanese heritage.

He acknowledges there are a lot of positive aspects to child rearing in Japan, but says he wanted to raise his children in Britain because he feels it has a more cosmopolitan culture.

The author describes how his wife meticulously planned the abduction and, although Galbraith was holding onto the children’s passports fearing a possible flight attempt, she obtained new ones from the Japanese Consulate in Edinburgh.

In retrospect, Galbraith believes he should have started divorce proceedings in Scotland and sought full custody at a much earlier stage, as well as a ban to prevent his wife from leaving Britain with their children.

But once they returned to Japan, he realized the culture of the country’s legal system ensured custody would automatically be granted to his wife and decided to try and “keep things together” as best he could.

In the book, he argues that even though custody laws require courts to remain “neutral” on the issue of male parenting, the legal system is biased in favor of mothers.

“I would have been swimming against the tide,” Galbraith said. But “excluding fathers causes immense suffering not only for the abandoned parent, but for the children” too.

After discovering that there had been no previous cases of children being returned to their foreign parents in Japan, he mulled hiring a private security firm to bring the children back to Scotland at one point.

He also recounts setting up a fake email account and posed as a businesswoman interested in publishing some of his wife’s work to get her home address. The plan worked and he was able to start sending letters and presents to his sons, although he has never received a reply.

Galbraith describes how the return of abducted children have been blocked because Japanese parents — usually wives — can claim their offspring will suffer physical abuse or psychological harm if they are returned to their home country, despite the Hague convention.

And the longer abducted children remain in their new country of residence, the smaller the chance of the courts sending them home, Galbraith says.

The author believes conservative legislators in Japan are reluctant to ratify the Hague convention because they believe abducted children have a better upbringing in Japan.

If the accord is ratified, “the key moment is the first actual return of a parentally abducted child from Japan. Quite frankly, I’ll be surprised if it happens,” Galbraith said.

He argues Japanese family court judges must be instructed to refrain from determining the best place for a child to be raised based on their personal opinion, and should only concern themselves with whether a child has been abducted from its place of habitual residence.

“There’s a cultural attack on the child when it is abducted. It takes them away from their polyglot inheritance . . . and makes it smaller, and they are more controllable for the abducting parent,” he said.

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Irish media reports on parental child abduction to Japan

Source: seanandrenee.cordpress.com

Parental child abduction to Japan got a lot of welcome media coverage in Ireland this week thanks to Douglas Galbraith’s new book; “My Son, My Son”.

Douglas’s book is very well written. It is my hope that it further raises awareness of Japan as a country where children can be abducted to, and denied all forms of access to one of their parent’s for their complete childhood.

Later in the day, Doulgas was on radio programme, “Today with Pat Kenny”. This is one of Ireland most listened to Current-Affairs Programmes. His interview can be listened to by clicking on the below link.

Douglas Galbraith RTE Radio 1 Interview

Finally, on Saturday an article on his book appeared in the Irish Times newspaper. Click here to read it.

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One key to ABP World Group`s successful recovery and re-unification of your loved one is to use all necessary means available

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U.S Phone Number: (646) 502-7443

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Parental Move Away/Abduction: Entrepreneur Wins Custody Of Missing Child

Source: Fathersrights.com

Big Jake won contracts for his trucking company by the force of his many contacts flowing from his Southern California roots. But his self marketing talents were eclipsed by his self maintenance skills aided by his baseball glove sized hands that, creased by wrench grip scars from the multitude of in flight maintenance diesel repairs this gentle giant of German English ancestry managed through his 50 year company history — hauling newsprint for his California based publishing company clientele — equipped his Kenworth fleeted tractors well for dependable, on-time reliability. And given his wide set baby blue eyes and shock of blond brown beach boy surfer hair, our six foot four two hundred thirty pound client not surprisingly fathered the most delightfully pert seven year old Goldilocks like girl in the county.

How she adored her daddy

!

So much so that jealously framed mother’s agenda to rip into the heart of our latter day Paul Bunyan by stealing away in the night with little Rebecca in tow of her Berkeley- Doctored new mate to the Greek Islands for his post doctoral research project enveloping the demise at the hands of Scipio Africans, his hero and his target of historical focus — Hannibal of Carthage.

But we cut off our bespectacled wasp with his anxious entourage at the boarding gate with the Vista Family Court’s restraining order recorded with the US Department Of Justice tagging Rebecca’s passport!

And Mother’s Mr Peepers bolted with Rebecca and Mother into darkness somewhere east of Raleigh and north of Savannah.

That is, until or gentle giant landed an overland cross-country consignment bound for Philadelphia with restraining orders in his glove box.

Soon afterward, and southbound for Tallahassee, our law firm’s investigator spotted Rebecca’s caravan in Southern Georgia, eight months to the day of Rebecca’s disappearance from her Oceanside California home. The hunt was on.

Our Midwest connections with the Chicago Tribune’s law firm led to legal connections in Tallassee where our new co-counsel having the local banking industry in legal lockstep identified Mr. Peeper’s newly opened Tallahassee bank account and his local motel address, where sharply early the following morning over-nighted orders were served requiring court surrender that very day.

Big Jake had meantime been storming his lighted rig, freed of it’s delivered cargo’s weight, south east to Florida. Contemporaneously or firm’s on sight PI kept watch at a respectful distance as the flushed prey efforted an escape west bound towards the Panhandle across north Florida – Mississippi Bound, our glue foot racing to the rear in chase.

But our over-educated, mental Mensa-man and his maul chose both the wrong weekend and the wrong Mississippi town for cover. For it was the very Saturday in December that Florida defeated arch rival Alabama, and Mississippi State beat Oklahoma!

Meridian, Mississippi and Tallassee were all in sleepless celebration mode.
Rebecca’s Tallahassee court issued restraining order was delivered by wire to a hoop hollering Meridian judge who alerted his wide eyed police chief early Sunday morning and the itinerant band and their Mercedes and RV fleet were seized and placed in the local caboose.

Rebecca, herself, spent that Sunday at the Mayor’s plantation home in honor of his alumni status with the Florida judge issuing the over-nighted Florida arrest citation — Florida State had been their mutual Alma Mater!

Meantime Big Jake had swung his broiling hot, diesel powered behemoth West from Tallahassee towards the Deep South, escorted by two Florida State Trooper squads by-passing the required checkpoints towards his beloved Rebecca.

Come Sunday Noon, yours truly was conference calling from my La Costa kitchen phone with Peeper’s newly retained Florida counsel arranging with the stern encouragement of two reunited alums of Florida State School Of Law, the assignment of Our Mr Big Hands of Sandy Hair as special deputy to personally escort Rebecca and her felon former parens patriae back to Tallahassee for arraignment with Rebecca delightedly reunified sitting shotgun aboard Big Jakes smokin big rig enroute for a Tuesday afternoon court Hearing.

Early Wednesday morning beaming Rebecca was released into her daddy’s care for her return to Oceanside while her former travel companions remained behind pending a preliminary hearing and trial.

Following further California proceedings Rebecca was returned full time into her father’s care and 15 years later earned her psychology degree — from UC Cal, where else!

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U.S Phone Number: (646) 502-7443

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Il fenomeno dei minori scomparsi

fonte: bambiniscomparsi

Ogni anno, le numerose denunce di minori scomparsi che arrivano alle Forze di Polizia destano sconcerto e preoccupazione nell’opinione pubblica. In realtà, il fenomeno, se pur da tenere sotto osservazione e controllo, va ridimensionato alla luce di una attenta lettura dei dati a disposizione.

Circa l’età dei bambini che “scompaiono”, infatti, rientrano nella categoria dei cd. allontanamenti volontari o delle sottrazioni operate dai genitori stessi.
Sono, cioè, minori che, per svariati motivi, decidono di lasciare l’abitazione familiare o la comunità cui sono affidati, anche se questa ultima ipotesi presenta delle peculiaritaà che occorre chiarire.

Se, infatti, gli allontanamenti volontari dall’abitazione familiare riguardano soprattutto bambini/adolescenti italiani o comunque appartenenti a famiglie stabilmente residenti in Italia, le “fughe” dalle comunità caratterizzano, in particolar modo, i bambini delle famiglie nomadi che, non riuscendo ad adattarsi alla nuova vita comunitaria, scappano dall’istituto per tornare presso le famiglie di origine. Nei casi di bambini molto piccoli, sono addirittura le famiglie stesse che li “rapiscono” per riportarli al precedente stile di vita, ovvero all’attività di accattonaggio o al compimento di piccoli furti e borseggi.

Ovviamente, anche queste “scomparse” o “allontanamenti” vengono segnalati alle Forze di Polizia e, quindi, incrementano il numero delle segnalazioni annuali.

È di tutta evidenza, quindi, la differenza con le ipotesi in cui un bambino viene sequestrato, viene sottratto da un genitore all’altro per condurlo in Paesi spesso lontani, o scompare nel nulla, senza che si riescano a formulare ipotesi sulle possibili motivazioni.

In conclusione, di tutte le segnalazioni che annualmente si ricevono, solo un 20% circa, a distanza di un anno, rimangono attuali. Tale dato numerico, nel corso degli anni, è destinato a decrescere ancora, perché non è infrequente che il minore allontanatosi volontariamente decida, anche a distanza di tempo, di farsi nuovamente vivo con la famiglia.

Non bisogna dimenticare, poi, che spesso, nel momento in cui un figlio torna a casa, i familiari, comprensibilmente felici per il rientro, dimenticano di informare le Forze di Polizia. Pertanto, può accadere che un minore che risulta formalmente scomparso, sia in realtà tornato presso la propria abitazione.
Per ovviare a tale inconveniente sono state disposte verifiche periodiche sull’attualità delle segnalazioni.

Come iniziano le ricerche?
Le ricerche vengono avviate, dopo la denuncia dei familiari o della comunità cui è affidato il minore, con l’inserimento del nominativo nel “CED-Interforze”, in modo tale che la notizia della scomparsa possa essere nota, in tempo reale, a tutte le Forze di Polizia.

Grazie a tale procedura, inoltre, le ricerche sono estese automaticamente a tutti i Paesi che aderiscono all’accordo di Schengen.

Quando si ritiene che il minore scomparso possa trovarsi in altri Paesi del mondo, viene chiamata in causa l’Interpol, che ha un ruolo di raccordo con le Forze di Polizia dei vari Paesi aderenti. È inoltre possibile chiamare ABP World Group per chiedere aiuto. Si parla inglese.

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One key to ABP World Group`s successful recovery and re-unification of your loved one is to use all necessary means available

Contact us here: Mail

Join the Facebook Group: International Parental Child Abduction

NOTE: We are always available 24/7

U.S Phone Number: (646) 502-7443

UK Phone Number: 020 3239 0013 -

Or you can call our 24h Emergency phone number: +47 45504271