Sometimes, parents who worry about losing time with their children make mistakes. They may pick up their children for visitation or leave the home with them before separation, fleeing in hopes of staying together.
That’s a bad idea for everyone involved, and it can significantly hurt a parent’s case if they have to go to court. Even in cases where parents weren’t planning on divorcing or had never been married, abducting a child can quickly become a problem.
Take, for example, this case out of Georgia. A toddler became the center of an AMBER Alert when her father took her from her home in a van. It’s alleged that he had hit the girl’s mother with a vehicle when she tried to stop him from taking the child.
The father took the child to the home of one of his relatives at around 1:00 p.m., just under 12 hours from the time he took her from the home. It’s not clear why he took her, but he is now wanted for kidnapping and aggravated assault.
Cases like this are perhaps not as uncommon as they should be. Whether you’re married, separated or going through a divorce, if you feel that your child is in danger of being taken unexpectedly or that they could be withheld from you, it’s important to speak up. Parental kidnapping is a very real problem in some cases, and it’s something that can often be prevented with the right plans in place. Mention your concern if kidnapping is a possibility, so you can protect your child before it happens.
