Most Child Abductions Involve Custody Disputes

This month, we covered the stories of two Washington State missing children cases that involved divorcing parents and a child custody dispute.

In the first case, a mother allegedly abducted her two children and ran out of state during an acrimonious divorce. She and her kids were found almost a year later, living in a Vancouver homeless shelter. Since then she has been charged with neglect and interfering with a child custody case.

In the second case, a Bellevue mother is under scrutiny after her two-year-old son disappeared after being left alone in an abandoned unlocked car for two hours. An initial investigation has not located the boy, though it has raised questions about whether or not his disappearance is connected to his parent’s recent child custody battle and divorce.

Sadly, the most common type of kidnappings and child abductions involve parents or relatives involved in child custody disputes. While Congress passed the Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act, and the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act in order to curb these issues and enforce court-ordered child custody decisions, it remains all too common.

Have you been faced with a difficult Washington State child custody dispute that requires the assistance of an experienced Seattle family law attorney? Speak with child custody lawyer Molly Kenny today to ensure that you and your children are treated fairly.