Twelve years ago, a Washington state family court awarded custody of a child to her mother in her parents’ divorce. Shortly thereafter, the father failed to return the girl from a holiday visit to Mexico.

Since then, the mother has given up everything to seek court orders in Washington and Mexico which would pave the way for her daughter’s return home. She got most of the court orders.

But her daughter remains in Mexico anyway.

Mexico is a party to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

But despite that, it reportedly has a poor track record of honoring the Convention and enforcing decisions made under it. The US government and its agencies have provided little, if any, help.

The warrant for the father’s arrest for custodial interference is, essentially, worthless.

Twelve years.

In three years, the child will be a legal adult. Maybe then her mother will be able to see her.

Read more in this YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC article: Custody battle exposes difficulties with international law.