Baby Snatching

Abstract

Most often, child custody is a civil matter. However, it may become a criminal matter when children are kidnapped. Nonviolent, familial kidnapping is the most common form of kidnapping. Often, noncustodial parents defy court orders and move, with a child, from a ruling jurisdiction. Violating court orders can carry criminal sanctions in addition to kidnapping charges (FBI, n.d.; U.S. Department of State, n.d.). The International Parental Kidnapping Crime Act (IPKCA) of 1993 permits issuance of an arrest warrant for international kidnapping; and the Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution (UFAP) law permits federal authorities, at states’ request, to issue a federal arrest warrant for a parent who abducts a child from a state. Internationally, interagency collaboration facilitates investigation and enforcement.