Variations of Child Abduction in San Diego in 2013

In San Diego, child abduction is a serious crime [whether as a result of a violation of an order in a paternity, legal separation or divorce or an unrelated person] which often has traumatic consequences not merely for the abducted child but for the parents and families as well for many years to come if not the remainder of all of their lives. In San Diego, if your child is abducted, you need to take steps immediately to give the highest chance of recovery as soon as possible.

There are several variations of child abduction with some being common to particular areas where they take place with a more distressing frequency. Perhaps this could change if the laws were different. A civilized society, according to many, should not tolerate this sort of behavior. Unfortunately, in San Diego and around the United States and the World, children are abducted for many reasons. Sometimes this involves a legal separation, divorce or paternity case in which one parent with holds the child for reasons either emotional or financial or other in violation the San Diego Superior Court order or the law in San Diego and California.

Many societies, for example, are familiar with kidnapping by a stranger which is the most feared kind of child kidnapping. Other types of child kidnappings are familial kidnapping which is far more prevalent in more developed societies. Acquaintance abduction is another variation looked upon as extremely serious because it involves a victim who is a minor and they trust the abductor. Horrendous stories abound of children who have been kidnapped and forced into prostitution, into military service and used for what can best be described as slave labor.

A form of child abduction much feared especially in developed countries is stranger abduction for ransom. In some cases, which happen more frequently than one would want to believe, people without children of their own abduct children with a view to raising them as their own. Many children who have been abducted in this manner have been abused, assaulted sexually, and undergo severe physical and mental trauma which persists for years to come. Any form of child abduction is looked upon as a serious crime.

In the United States, kidnapping by family members is a very prevalent form of child kidnapping. After a divorce or in the wake of a custody battle, one parent might abduct the child and hide the child, a crime which is deemed child abduction. A crime of this nature is typically committed by parents but other family members including grandparents can be responsible. In some cases the person guilty of abduction genuinely believes that his/her action is in the best interest of the child and that they are “saving” the child.

Teens are often victims of a crime known as acquaintance abduction which can perpetrated by someone of the victim’s age or an adult. The kidnapper could be an erstwhile romantic partner, one whose affections had been unrequited, a gang member, or any other person known to the victim. In an abduction of this sort the victim might have to put up with additional assault frequently associated with the relationship the victim shared with the abductor.

Child abductions are typically categorized by the kind of perpetrator committing the crime. But in all the kidnappings mentioned above the perpetrator is driven by some motive. A ransom kidnapping however is different as the motive is one of sheer greed and avarice. Surprisingly in some countries in the world parental kidnapping is not considered a crime and there are different laws for mothers and for fathers. In San Diego, the law is gender neutral in this regard.

Doppelt and Forney, APLC is a family law firm in San Diego with a mission to ‘Help Stop Child Kidnapping’. Roy himself has been recognized for legal representation of abducted children by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children who has awarded him with a certificate of merit. He is a Donor to their Heroes Circle.