Is someone threatening to hurt/remove your child?
Is your partner/husband, or those who wish to harm you, threatening to take your child or children away from you? if so, this is a crime, and you can get support to ensure that you have custody of our child/children and ensure their safety and wellbeing.
If you fear your child or children are being harmed, or at risk of being harmed, call the police on 999 or your Social Services emergency duty team. You can also contact our domestic abuse helpline.
If you believe that your child is going to be taken out of the country, we can provide you with support and/or contact details of solicitors who can provide you with legal support. You can also contact Reunite for advice on international child abduction and the Law Society for lawyers who could advise you further.
If you child has been taken away from you and you are the main carer, the family courts can:
- order a range of people, including the person who has taken your child and other relatives, to disclose where the child is
- order the person who has taken a child to return them to the main carer.
- make a Prohibited Steps Order preventing a specified person(s) from taking a child away from their main carer again.
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LINKS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Women’s Aid Website
The Survivor’s Handbook: Print and Audio Versions
Making arrangements for children after separation: the role of the family courts.
Rights of Women
Rights of Women have fact sheets on residence, contact and parental responsibility that can be downloaded for free from their website.
Women lawyers provide advice on 020 7251 6577 (telephone) or 020 7490 2562 (textphone) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm and Fridays, 12 noon – 2:00 pm.
Reunite
Reunite runs a 24-hour emergency service for international child abduction cases.
Their advice line on 0116 2556 234 is open Monday to Friday, 9:30 am to 5:00 pm or for information see their website.
The Reunite Child Abduction Prevention Guide provides clear and concise information and practical steps to take if you fear your child is in danger of abduction.