Can child abduction lead to criminal proceedings?
Under the Child Abduction Act 1984 it is a criminal offence in England and Wales for any person connected with a child to take or send the child out of the United Kingdom without the consent of any other person who has parental responsibility for the child. Q: Is Public Funding (Legal Aid) available to take proceedings under the Hague Convention? A: Non-means tested Public Funding is available for parents who are requesting the return of children through the English International Child Abduction and Contact Unit to a foreign jurisdiction. This is not available for the parent who is alleged to have abducted the child to England and Wales. If they apply for Legal Aid it will be subject to a means and merits test. Further information upon financial eligibility can be found at the Legal Services Commission website.
