It may come to your surprise when you went to get your child from school and they were missing. You may have later received a text or call from a relative close to your child saying you won’t be seeing them again. It turns out your mother, brother or another close relative believes it’s in their right to file for custody of your child.
It can be beyond distressing to find someone, especially a family member, has taken your child. Family members are just as prone (or even more so) to kidnapping as strangers. It can be just as hard to understand the motive behind your child’s abduction. Here’s what you should consider:
The abductor is jealous of your life
One reason why a family member might abduct your child is out of jealousy. This can be as simple as wanting the same opportunity you have to raise a child.
Your relative may believe, for whatever reason, that you don’t “deserve” your child, maybe because of cultural, religious or ideological issues. In other situations, they may even have damaged their relationship with you, causing them to seek your child out as a sort of “do-over” for their mistakes.
The abductor has mental issues
You may know of a family member who struggles with their thoughts. Your family member may have a history of addiction issues or has been diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar syndrome. Their mental condition may have caused disordered thinking that’s led to their actions.
Your family member could have heard a conspiracy that acted as a trigger to abduct your child. They may be dealing with unresolved trauma. There’s often no telling what goes through people’s heads throughout the day.
There’s no question that, whatever caused your child to be abducted in the first place, you want them back. Your family member may cause a lengthy custody battle because they’re convinced your child is safer with them. You may need to seek experienced legal help to take you through the steps to get your child home safely.