My sons Daniel and Jonathan, then aged 6 and 4, were abducted by their non-custodial father from London to Moscow in December 2012. Since the father ignored order after order from the UK High Court to return the boys to England, I applied through the Russian courts who also ordered my sons to be returned. My case is the first to use the 1996 Hague Convention for the Protection of Children in England and Russia for the return of an abducted child. It is the only international legislation between our countries designed to return abducted children home. Still, they are not with me.
Three months ago in order to further avoid compliance with the law, the children were forced into hiding. It has now been 14 months since the abduction. In 2013 I had almost no contact with my sons, now they are missing and in danger. How would any parent feel to be entirely powerless to rescue their child from harm?
I have always had sole custody orders for my sons, and there are long-existing court orders that prevent the father from keeping the children from my care and control unless agreed upon in advance. The children are not only in unsuitable hands with their abductor, they are not safe.
For more than three months they have been missing; no schools, no doctors, simply kept in hiding to evade the law. The 1996 Hague Convention not only obligates the recognition of return orders, but the enforcement of those orders as well. Despite that, neither the police nor the court bailiff are looking for them. I call upon the Russian authorities to observe their international commitment, find my sons, and guarantee they are safely returned to England.
I have written to President Putin and to Prime Minister Cameron, and now I ask for public support! This is not only about my sons. ALL children deserve to be protected under the law, not to be abused and abducted with no restraints. This could happen to anyone, and without these functional mechanisms, chances for recovery are very low. HELP ME BRING MY CHILDREN HOME to be reunited with their mother and younger brother.
Please, STAND UP FOR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS, demand with me that England and Russia take the 1996 Hague Convention and the children it’s meant to protect seriously. Let President Putin and PM Cameron know that children are counting on them to make it work.
