International Restitution of Minors Abducted by their Own Parents

Abstract

Child abduction (SIM) is identified as that action by which a parent of a child or teen, by subtraction, retention or concealment prevents the other parent from exercising their rights of visitation or custody. The violation of these rights, established in favour of both parents and children, may constitute, at the international level, an unlawful detention or unlawful transfer the child to a different country of habitual residence. This has led most countries to adopt domestic legislation dedicated to the treatment of this phenomenon and to accede to the Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. In this paper, based on the analysis of the Colombian situation the common tools used internationally to stop the violation of these rights are outlined.