My child has been abducted from the Netherlands to another country. What should I do?

Step 1: Determine whether your child has indeed been abducted

First, determine whether your child has indeed been abducted. International child abduction is a criminal offence. Your child is regarded as having been abducted if all three of the following conditions apply:

1. Your child is under 16.
2. You have sole or joint parental responsibility. Parental responsibility means you are required to care for and raise your child.
3. Your child was taken abroad without your permission or is being kept abroad without your permission. Being kept abroad can mean, for example, that you gave permission for a holiday or family visit in another country but not for a longer stay.

If your child has been abducted, follow the steps below.

Step 2: Contact the Central Authority on International Children’s Issues (CA IKA)

The Central Authority on International Children’s Issues (CA IKA) is part of the Ministry of Justice and Security and can help you get your child back. This is done via an application for return.

Contact CA IKA (information in Dutch)

How does an application for return work?

• Each country that is party to the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction has its own central authority. If your child has been abducted to a country that is party to the Hague Convention, CA IKA in the Netherlands will contact the central authority in that country.
• If your child has been abducted to a country that is not party to the Hague Convention, that country will not have a central authority. However, you can still contact CA IKA and submit an application for return. CA IKA will ask the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for assistance.

Step 3: Seek advice and support from the Dutch International Child Abduction Centre

If you need advice or support, contact the Dutch International Child Abduction Centre (Centrum IKO). They can provide:

• information about international child abduction and its prevention
• help with filling in the request for return form for the Central Authority on International Children’s Issues (CA IKA)
• the contact details of specialist lawyers in the Netherlands and abroad.

Read more about international child abduction on the Centrum IKO website.

You can take step 2 and 3 at the same time. You can also contact the police to report the case or lodge a criminal complaint, but this can have major consequences. Always speak to CA IKA or Centrum IKO before contacting the police.