Separation can be difficult, arguably more so when children are involved. You may want to break the ties completely but the Courts will quite often find that it's in the best interests of your children to spend time with both of you. What happens though when one parent takes matters into their own hands and removes the children from your life completely?
The Australian Federal Police recently went public about the abduction of Laura and Harrison Veasey by their mother. The trio has been missing since 1 March 2013 when they moved, leaving no forwarding address and cutting off all forms of contact.
The children's parents had previously been involved in Family Law proceedings and had come to an agreement by consent that provided for their father, Mr Veasey, to spend regular time with Laura and Harrison. However, Mr Veasey has not seen his children in over a year, in contravention of those Orders.
On 18 September 2013, the Family Court of Australia ordered that the children live with Mr Veasey and issued a Recovery Order to the Australian Federal Police and State and Territory Police Forces permitting them to do what was necessary to make sure the children were returned to their father.
Designed to secure the return of a child who has been relocated from, or within, Australia without the other parent's knowledge or consent, Recovery Orders provide a mechanism for the child to be returned, with the assistance of the Australian Federal Police in particular.
In this case, the Australian Federal Police adopted a more assertive role in the recovery of Laura and Harrison who had been abducted and relocated by one parent, without the consent of the other.
The Family Court of Australia also issued a Publication Order allowing the release of photographs and details of Laura and Harrison, and their mother. Laura and Harrison are yet to be located and it's hoped that this Order will assist in locating them.
If you're in a situation where Orders aren't being complied with, or you don't know where your child or children have moved to (in Contravention of existing Orders), you should urgently obtain the assistance of an Accredited Specialist in Family Law.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
