Abduction – Hope after heartache

The Williamsons Family department and a local mother are celebrating an amazing success story following the conclusion of a heart breaking and complex case.

The mother (who cannot be named for legal reasons) instructed Zoe Atkinson of our Driffield office in relation to the breakdown of her marriage and arrangements for her children. However, in a shocking turn of events, and in breach of court orders, the client’s husband abducted the 3 children of the marriage, the youngest of whom was only 2 months old, to Afghanistan.

The mother had no information as to the whereabouts of the children or who was looking after them, and her husband, who returned to the UK without the 3 children refused to divulge any information as to their whereabouts. He is now serving a prison sentence for the offence of Child Abduction.

Afghanistan is not presently a member of the Hague Convention (Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction) Treaty, (an agreement between member countries which aims to help in the return of children abducted from one country to another). The courts, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Police, including Interpol, were therefore limited in the assistance they could offer our client.

As time passed fears grew as to the prospects of successfully recovering the 3 children. This was until contact was eventually made by Miss Atkinson, with an American lawyer, Kim Motley, who worked in Afghanistan. She, after hearing about our client’s circumstances, agreed to take the case on and help our client ‘on the ground’ in Afghanistan. Miss Atkinson, assisted by London based barristers, applied for High Court orders inviting the authorities in Afghanistan to help Ms Motley in finding the children and returning them home.

Incredibly, 17 months after their abduction, the 3 children were found by the authorities in Afghanistan and flown home by Ms Motley to be reunited with their mother. The children are reported to be settling back in their mother’s care very well. Miss Atkinson says of the case ‘This has been a fantastic team effort from all concerned to find these children and bring them home where they belong. The work Ms Motley did in Afghanistan to help was outstanding. Parental abduction is unfortunately increasing and hopefully this story will bring some hope for other parents involved in similar desperate situations.’

Miss Atkinson has been involved in a set up of a fundraising campaign on behalf of her client, who has been left with very large debts following the recovery of her children.

Click here to view the fundraising page, where you can make a donation.