International Child Abduction: New Risk Of Criminal Liability For Abducting Parents

More than 500 children are taken out of the UK by a parent each year. A key gap in the law has now been closed: section 137 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 makes it a criminal offence for a parent to take a child abroad with consent but then keep them there without it. The practical impact will vary depending on where the parent relocates and whether international remedies are available. The…