Child Care Solicitors

New figures from the charity Parents and Abducted Children Together (PACT) have revealed that in just one year, Greater Manchester Police have dealt with 66 cases of child abduction.

Manchester Evening News reports that 39 cases involved abductions or attempted abduction by persons not known to the child’s parents – and 20 cases involved kidnapping or attempted kidnapping. Out of the remaining cases of child abduction, seven cases involved a child being abducted by one of its parents.

The figures were released by Greater Manchester Police in response to a Freedom of Information Request made by PACT. The figures cover the period April 2013 to March 2014.

Director of research at PACT, Geoff Newiss, said:

“One surprise is that we still have many more stranger-attempted abductions than parental ones than people realise.

“A lot of the focus now is online grooming – and I think that has taken attention away from what is seen as an old fashioned problem.”

Mr Newiss added that he did not think parents should be panicked by the figures – but should warn children of the dangers of being approached by strangers in public places, even though child abduction was “relatively rare”.

Mr Newiss – a protection expert – also suggested that too much emphasis on the dangers of online grooming might result in some parents failing to tackle the dangers of strangers approaching their children in real life.

The figures obtained show, however, that after West Midlands Police – who dealt with 72 incidents of child abduction – Greater Manchester had the second highest number of child abductions or kidnappings outside London.
In London, the Metropolitan Police dealt with 184 incidents involving child abduction or attempted kidnapping.

The figures obtained by PACT were released as Stockport police revealed they are dealing with the sixth suspicious approach or attempted abduction of a child within ten days.

On Thursday (22/01/15), two sisters standing at a bus stop in the Adswood area were approached by a couple who tried to persuade the girls to get into their car.

Similar incidents have been reported in the areas of Cheadle and Cheadle Hulme in Greater Manchester.

Police say it is believed that the incidents are not linked – but are calling on children and their parents and schools to report anything suspicious.

Duncan Lewis Children Lawyers

Duncan Lewis children lawyers have expertise in handling cases involving parent-child abductions and international child abduction.

Duncan Lewis is a leading firm of Legal Aid solicitors and our lawyers speak more than 70 languages between them. Our overseas associates work with us to reach a speedy resolution in a case of parent-child abduction and return a child to the parent with lawful custody.

Duncan Lewis children lawyers can also advise on a wide range of childcare matters, including:

• Ancillary payments and maintenance
• Child abuse
• Child care proceedings
• Children taken into Local Authority care
• Co-parenting agreements
• Court of Protection
• Wills & trusts.

Duncan Lewis can advise on family law and childcare law under UK law or Islamic law.

For expert legal advice on parent-child abduction and international child abduction, call Duncan Lewis Children Lawyers on 020 7923 4020.