No Help for US Mother of Children Allegedly Kidnapped Abroad by Father
Woman marries immigrant. They have two children together.
Mother and Father divorce in Connecticut, where the family lived throughout the marriage. Mother is awarded sole custody of children by Connecticut court.
Father moves back to native Lebanon. Mother sends boys there for summer visitation with Father.
Seven months go by… Boys reportedly remain in Lebanon with Father. According to Mother, she has been allowed to speak to them only twice.
According to the article in the Lebanon Daily Star, in Lebanon, the father always wins custody – of boys once they are over 7 years of age.
Lebanon is not a party to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. And there is no extradition treaty between the US and Lebanon.
So it is irrelevant that Father is wanted on kidnaping charges in the US. According to the article, the US government can do nothing for the Mother or the children.
This happens all too often. Yet too many divorcing and divorced parents do not appreciate this danger, even in high-risk circumstances, as above – until it’s just too late.
Don’t be one of them.
