Give police emergency powers to return children withheld by a parent

Give police emergency powers to return children withheld by a parent — 48 signatures. Status: open.

Petition background

We call on the Government to amend the law to grant police immediate emergency powers to recover a child when a parent withholds them in breach of an active Court Order or shared care agreement.

Additional details

Currently, when a parent breaks a family court order and refuses to return a child, the police often refuse to intervene, calling it a "civil matter". Parents are forced to wait months for new court hearings while their children are alienated and legal orders are ignored with impunity. The law has a dangerous gap. We need emergency police enforcement powers to protect children and uphold court decisions immediately, instead of allowing parents to break the law while waiting for future court.

View this petition on the official UK Parliament website

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