There is no question that when parents of children split, having to divide the time spent with them can be difficult. Because of this, for many, establishing a custody arrangement is one of the most stressful parts of ending a relationship. While there is likely a sense of relief once a plan has been created, this does not mean that issues related to the matter are handled for good. A mother in British Columbia knows this all too well.
The woman, who has four children, claims that following a European vacation, her ex-husband failed to return the kids, ages 3-11, to her in Vancouver. She believes he abducted them and took them to Northern Iraq. Her ex, who is a doctor, has work ties to the country.
Since the children failed to return, legal action has been taken. In addition the issuance of a Canada-wide warrant for her ex-husband, Interpol has included the four children on its website and labelled them as missing.
For quite some time prior to the trip to Germany and France—which had been approved—the couple had issues getting along. They reportedly did not communicate directly, but instead through a parenting coordinator or lawyer. The woman said she feared her ex would one day take their children but indicated she has faith in the various agencies working on finding them.
As this case illustrates, matters involving the custody of children can be complicated and extend far beyond the establishment of a legal agreement pertaining to child access or parenting time. This is true regardless of whether the couple was married or living together. We will provide updates on this case as they become available.