I was forwarded the contact information of a journalist looking to do some research on International Child Abduction with an eye towards writing articles on the topic and raising awareness.
I responded by sending her a list of the excellent articles written by Timothy Maier on the subject. These were written around 2000 and, in this case, the old adage that the more things change the more things stay the same, is unfortunately a sage one. These articles do an excellent job of illustrating this issue and should be required reading for anyone hoping to truly understand what American parents face in their efforts to recover their children. I have linked to several of these articles at one point or another in various posts in this forum but here they all are in reverse chronological order.
Timothy Maier's articles:Data Missing on Missing Children (Issue date 9/2/2002)So how many children are missing, from where and what are their names? No one knows for sure. Dave Thelen, chief executive officer for the nonprofit Committee for Missing Children Inc., has been trying to get reliable statistics for years and would like to see NCMEC back up its numbers with a complete database of names and case histories
http://www.findthekids.org/pdf/datamissing.pdfKids Abandoned On Ryan's Watch (7/29/2002)Ryan also angered parents by calling these kidnapping cases "custody disputes." The term infuriated parents who pointed out that in many cases courts formally had given custody to American parents from whom a child was kidnapped, and in others international warrants had been issued for the arrest of the kidnappers.
http://www.findthekids.org/pdf/ryans.pdfKids Held Hostage in Saudi Arabia (Issue date 6/24/2002)After a recent emotionally charged congressional hearing Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.), chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, vowed to persuade President George W. Bush to take action against Saudi Arabian kidnappers who have held U.S. children captive in some cases as long as 16 years.
http://www.findthekids.org/pdf/kidsheld.pdfStolen Kids become Pawns in Terror War (Issue date 11/27/2001)As the war in Afghanistan continued, many of America's forgotten children remained trapped in Middle Eastern countries that soon could be pulled into war as the United States considers strikes against other states that sponsor terrorism. These stolen children — perhaps as many as 11,000 U.S. citizens — were stripped of their civil rights the day they became victims of international parental kidnapping.
http://www.findthekids.org/pdf/stolenkids.pdfComplicity in Child Abduction (Issue date 7/23/2001)An estimated 15,000 U.S. children remain abroad after being abducted by a parent. But the State Department is pursuing action in less than 30 Hague Convention cases.
http://www.findthekids.org/pdf/forgottenchildren.pdfAll Talk, No Action on Stolen Children (Issue date 18/6/2001) Although Congress has called on foreign nations to abide by the Hague Convention on parental child abductions, the U.S. government is not really offering parents much help.
http://www.findthekids.org/pdf/alltalk.pdfCountries Ignore Hague Convention (Issue date 12/18/00)Reports released by the GAO and State Department show that the U.S. government is failing to help return to their American parents children illegally abducted overseas.
http://www.findthekids.org/pdf/internationalchild.pdfA Double Standard for Our Children (Issue date 10/7/00)The case of 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez has received attention at the highest levels of government, while the plight of American children kidnapped abroad isn’t on the agenda.
http://www.findthekids.org/pdf/double.pdfAmerica's Forgotten Kids (Issue date 5/1/00)The nation is struggling in the throes of the Elian Gonzalez case but, despite the attention paid to the plight of the Cuban boy, kidnapped Americans continue to rate only a nod.
http://www.findthekids.org/pdf/americas.pdfState's New Smoke Screen (Issue date 4/3/00)Out of the glare of the Elian Gonzalez spotlight, internationally kidnapped American children languish overseas as the State Department offers doublespeak to reporters and parents.
http://www.findthekids.org/pdf/smoke.pdfA Great Escape (Issue date 2/14/00)She couldn’t find a hero, so 13-year-old Dria Davis became one, devising a plan to leave a father she says kidnapped, beat and held her captive in his native Saudi Arabia for two years.
http://www.findthekids.org/pdf/escape.pdfJustice Ignores Stolen Kids (Issue date 11/29/99)Despite recent testimony before Congress by beleaguered parents of internationally kidnapped children, State and Justice departments continue to dismiss these crimes
http://www.findthekids.com/pdf/justice.pdfState Abandons Kidnapped Kids (Issue date 6/14/99)Two State Department reports -- yet to be made public but obtained by Insight -- don't tell the true story of the government's failure to help rescue children abducted to foreign countries.
http://www.findthekids.org/pdf/state.pdfKidnapped Kids Cry Out for Help (Issue date 5/10/99)Insight's investigation of child abductions has initiated widespread concern, but despite plenty of lip service about this issue, the first couple has not taken public leadership.
http://www.findthekids.org/pdf/kidnapped.pdfKids Held Hostage (Issue date 3/8/99)When it comes to international abductions by foreign spouses, the government often places diplomacy above the needs of American children and their parents.
http://www.findthekids.org/pdf/hostage.pdf
