The loss of a child is always painful. But what of when the child is taken from the mother... by the father ? The article below, from Revue de Presse, describes the frequency, and motives, of such kidnapping.

Little Yasmin was 3V2 years old when she was kidnapped by her Algerian father and taken to his homeland 15 years ago. Her Swiss mother, VT, has seen her only twice since the kidnapping, and has been trying to regain custody ever since. It has been a useless fight, psychologically upsetting, and one which has cost her thousands and thousands of Swiss francs in lawyers' fees and trips to and from Algeria.

Yet VT does not give up. She herself had been kidnapped by her father as a child and hadn't seen her mother until age 16. She has long ago given up hope of getting her daughter back, but she fights on on behalf of other mother, victims of the same injustice. With another Swiss women, IS, who suffered a similar ordeal and went on a hunger strike last November and December, VT founded a new Association :the Swiss Group against the Kidnapping of Children.

There are no official statistics in Swizerland on this subject, although it is clear that the figure of 2000 children kidnapped suggested for the whole of Europe is underestimated since already one thousand such kidnappings have been reported in the Federal Republic of Germany.

It's quite unusual in Switzerland for children to be taken away from the father. "I've heard of only 3 such cases", says MW, co-founder of the Association. "On the other hand, 47 children kidnapped by the father have been reported to us since the groups has existed." Add a member of the International Social Service of Geneva : "We have been dealing with this problem for more than 20 years, and we have about 30 cases per year. Unfortunately, our means of action are limited."

Furthermore, the Swiss Federal Department of Justice admits

Revue de la Presse

Bureau de la Condition Feminine

Republique et Canton du Jura

2800 Delemont, Switzerland