09 May 2013
International child abductions & cross-border family disputes on the increase
International child abductions and cross-border family disputes are on the increase according to official figures produced by Lord Justice Thorpe’s office.
The Office of the Head of International Family Justice received 253 requests for assistance in 2012, compared with 190 in 2011 and 92 in 2010. More than half related to Europe.
LJ Thorpe, head of international family justice for England and Wales, and Edward Bennett, legal secretary to the head, writing in the report, said they “regretted” that both Poland and Italy have not yet designated judges to deal with the office. This had “significantly impeded formal judicial collaboration with both jurisdictions”.
