Legal News

A family lawyer from the US and local police in Afghanistan have helped reunite a British mother with her three sons, after they were abducted by their father and left with relatives in Afghanistan 17 months ago.

BBC News reports that the family from Yorkshire – who cannot be named for legal reasons – were reunited after Kabul-based lawyer Kim Motley, who has three children of her own located the three boys aged eight, four and 18 months in the north of Afghanistan.

Ms Motley worked in close association with Britain’s National Crime Agency and the three boys were removed from their relatives in Afghanistan by local police and handed over to the care of Mrs Motley in Kabul for two days, while the authorities in Afghanistan prepared emergency passports for them to travel to the UK. Ms Motley travelled with them to Britain to reunite them with their mother.

The head of the police unit who dealt with the case in Afghanistan, Abdul Awab Aziz, said the experience of finding the boys had been a good one because often cases of international child abduction were not resolved.

The boys were reunited with their mother after landing at Manchester Airport and it is reported they ran to her and hugged her.

Their mother told BBC News she had given up hope of ever seeing them again – the youngest child was just six weeks’ old at the time the children’s father took them to Afghanistan and left them with distant relatives of his.

"It's overwhelming and exciting that I've got them – but to think that last week I had messaged my solicitor saying that I didn't think I'd get them back,” the boys’ mother said.

However, as a result of the abduction, only the eldest boy can speak English and speaks to his younger brothers in the Afghan language, Dari.

Ms Motley said that the boys were “very close” to each other, as well as having a bond with the relatives they had been staying with in Afghanistan. It is reported that the eldest boy had been told “negative things” about his mother, however.

Ms Motley said it was usual for those who had been abducted to form a close bond with their abductors, but she added that the way in which the boys supported each other would help them deal with the situation.

Figures released in December 2013 by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the charity Reunite show that parental child abduction has doubled in the last 10 years. It is estimated that two children in the UK are abducted by family members every day and are taken abroad to live.

At the time the figures were released, Minister for Consular Affairs Mark Simmons said:

“I was very concerned to see an increase in child abduction cases. Parental child abduction has a devastating emotional impact on the child, as well as the taking parent and the parent left behind.

“It can do lasting damage to a child’s relationship with both parents and their happiness.

“These are often distressing cases for everyone involved and there are no easy fixes – but our staff around the world work hard to assist those parents left behind.”

Duncan Lewis Childcare Solicitors – International Child Abduction

Duncan Lewis is a leading firm of childcare solicitors and can advise on a wide range of childcare matters – including international child abduction.

Duncan Lewis childcare solicitors are one of the UK’s leading providers of Legal Aid services – and our staff speak more than 70 languages between them.

Duncan Lewis solicitors are also able to advise on childcare law and family law under UK law and Islamic law.

For expert legal advice on international child abduction, contact Duncan Lewis childcare solicitors on 020 7923 4020.