Exposing The World Of Parental Child Abduction And Kidnapping | Our Life

[Music] wow every 12 hours in britain a child is abducted by a parent or family member oh god [Music] britons are increasingly finding partners from abroad but when these relationships break down things can get messy especially when children are involved amino was treated more like a possession than a child i don't believe it was done out of love because if you love each other that much you would never want to harm your child in the last decade the number of parental child abductions has doubled in britain sometimes i think i can hear her voice she's calling me mommy [Music] the left behind parents suffer and the siblings may also be damaged when you said what do you want for christmas what did you say crystal where's crystal where's sister where is she in poland you want to get her back yes [Music] good afternoon reunite how can i help my name's joanne so you say mum's gone has now gone over to america is that right so dad's canadian reunite international is a charity that supports parents affected by child abduction does she have any family links in the caribbean in 2014 they dealt with almost 600 new cases their helpline has never been busier it's really imperative that you keep mum in the country when she comes in it is heartbreaking for parents going through this situation for you as a parent to know that somewhere your child is out there you don't know if they're well you know fundamentally you don't even know if they're if they're alive but you don't know what their life is are they happy are they waking up every morning and wondering where you are so he's with mum's pet family at the moment a lot of people will say well the child's with one parent so what is the problem but it's not about being with one parent it's about their whole life has just been erased so it's incredibly damaging to that child amina khan was abducted to pakistan by her mother when she was six years old [Music] her father south london as suffraz khan hasn't seen amina for over three years [Music] sufras a research scientist married hama a gp in 2004 [Music] after a difficult divorce suffrage was given custody when amina was six she went to stay with her mother for two weeks giving hummer the time and opportunity to smuggle her to pakistan [Music] i was just lost i suffered depression anxiety i was unable to sleep and during the course of the last over two years he has a sense of hopelessness you feel that you know there's no hope for you that you're ever gonna see a child again and it feels like a bereavement your child's gone that's it and all you have left is you know school uniforms or toys and clothes and everything that is armona has been is left behind but without the child look at me say something for the camera [Music] as a parent to go through something like that it's so easy for them to slip into depression already this year we've had three suicides all fathers because they just couldn't cope with it there's not as much support for fathers who are going through this process certainly there is this perception that well if the child is with the mother then that child is going to be fine sometimes what we see is well it must have been an awful father what was he doing in that relationship for the mother to have to flee that relationship when actually we know that mothers abduct because for the simple reason they want to go home they don't want to stay in this country [Music] over 70 percent of abductions are actually carried out by mothers it's fathers like sufras that are more likely to be left behind everything that i did revolved around arnold because for me you know children come first i just love being with my daughter and we had a very very strong bond [Music] amina is just always happy and she's a very chatty little child and just very active and full of energy i believe that she knows you know that i love her a lot and so i just think that um there's a little bit of me that hopes that my daughter will remember me and i just hope that she grows up and when she does that she can find her way back home [Music] garcia's daughter talia was abducted by her husband when she was just three months old [Music] the photo of talia i have always with me is so special because i can have her in my arms i can feel him and always i will remember that garcia from poland moved to south wales in 2002 to work as a nanny she fell in love with maher who worked in a local takeaway i see he's very nice man and very polite and very handsome man he said he loved me so much so we should be together because the love is everything what we need they married and in 2012 talia was born [Music] talia she was very pretty and she was mine always we talk and we walk everyone who see her she they always say oh she's gorgeous and she's beautiful she look like you but i know she have my husband's eyes and his head i think i was the happiest person in the world i know my piece that for short time but i was very happy [Music] but just three months after talia was born maher abducted her taking her to his home country of libya gazia has not seen her daughter for two and a half years i missed everything i missed a smile i missed to seeing her she's start work i missed that's a beautiful time for me and for her [Music] all gaussian has left is a handful of pictures and a few baby clothes i never wash them after always smell natalia maybe one day i can show her that i always keep her stuff with me [Music] it's a big day for sufras he's heading to the high court [Music] he believes his ex-wife's family were complicit in abducting and hiding his daughter in pakistan something they've always denied so franz took the family to court but lost today he will hear if he has to pay their legal fees [Music] after several hours of legal wrangling his ex-wife's family are claiming 90 000 pounds in legal costs enough to bankrupt him i've been feeling numb all day because i've been expecting the worse it's a very very painful thing to say that i just gotta just need time out actually at the moment i just cannot continue with this anymore it's like you've got no future no hope there's nothing to live for my daughter didn't die of natural causes i can't go to a graveyard and i can't visit her she's just disappeared she's gone what's going through your mind now that uh [Music] it's been two and a half years since craig michael's daughter crystal has slept in her bedroom [Music] north londoner craig moved to cyprus in 2005 and met martha they had two daughters together four years after they met martyr abducted crystal then just 15 months old fleeing home to poland look at that can you do any buttons up yeah older sister five-year-old cassie remained in cyprus craig and his father robert have done their best to give her a normal childhood it's heartbreaking but i've gone through so many emotions that i'm pretty numb from it all now i feel bad i feel like i've failed and now it's just an empty shell we haven't got those kids together [Music] later came back to cyprus and tried to take cassie as well but craig was alerted and managed to stop her come come i'm gonna be first [Music] both parents are desperate for the sisters to be together but craig is adamant they should be in cyprus martyr in poland when you said what do you want for christmas what did you say crystal who's crystal where is she in poland and you want to get her back yes what do you want to do with her when you get her back i have a sleepover in my bed every day and play yeah i'm going to share your toys with her yeah she's gonna be happy yeah do you miss her a lot yeah and give her baby food she's not a baby anymore she was a baby when she left wasn't she now she's nearly as big as you craig has pursued mata through the polish courts using the hague convention designed to bring about the prompt return of children abducted across international borders [Music] marta claims that she abducted crystal as craig misused drugs and alcohol and was physically and mentally abusive towards her and the children claims that craig has always denied the judge did not find the claims to be supported by evidence he decided there was no risk of harm to crystal and she should be returned to cyprus [Music] but marta has refused to bring her back despite repeated court orders two years on crystal is still in poland i'm a normal guy i'm just a normal dad like everyone else but i haven't stopped remember that little girl needs her dad craig is among a number of desperate parents who've decided to take desperate [Music] measures he's turned to child abduction recovery international who say they specialize in the safe recovery of abducted children director adam whittington an ex-soldier and former met police officer claims to have returned over 100 children from 50 different countries [Music] parents of child abduction is an epidemic proportions it's crazily out of control most of our clients come to us as craig after they've done everything legally possible yet they hit a brick wall after the decision has been made in their favor the hague is a tool that assists in getting their children back it's not a tool that will get their children back it leaves absolutely no no choice to parents but to do a recovery parents like craig can legally take their children back if they have the correct court orders adam's job is to trace the child and minimize confrontation and harm the polish authorities say they've been unable to find crystal adam began his search at martha's parents home in napole and in just 11 hours he found her so this is the quick video i took during surveillance you'll see shortly the grandmother the mother and crystal leaving the shopping center here you can see crystal in the pink the little girl and holding her hand is is martyr the mother crystal's never never alone for obvious reasons the british foreign office advises against parents taking their child back as it can be illegal in some countries and put the child at risk but adam and craig have a law on their side and will do everything to ensure crystal safety if i had made an attempt to get crystal at that stage it would have just jeopardised everything it's not a smart opportunity and we wouldn't take something like that obviously marta the mother and the grandmother would be screaming you'd have 20 30 people come around to assist and they will assist the polish person in particular the mother as they're not aware of the whole story they don't know she's wanted and i know crystal's been abducted [Music] garcia's daughter italia was abducted two and a half years ago [Music] a year after her husband snatched her he returned to britain leaving talia with his mother in libya [Music] he was convicted of child abduction and sentenced to six and a half years in prison [Music] since then maha's family won't speak to garcia and she has had no contact with her daughter i'm looking for some help and i know maybe it's not easy but i know maybe someone can help me to breathe my italia back today garcia is meeting reunite international go cher [Music] in repairing relationships between feuding families torn apart by abduction [Music] since ma has been back in the uk you've not spoken with his family at all what was your relationship like with them before he came back here i tried to be so nice for them and i think maher's mom she's like my mom so i give to them all my heart and but they take that all from me gosher it's possible that they think you're angry with them i'm not angry with mahesh family and especially with his mom i know i will never take talia from them they will not see her because i know how is that feel do you think they know that because over this two years all trust has broken down sometimes a letter can be a really good way of initiating that contact they've lost their son they've lost their brother it's difficult for them i know is nothing be happen god if we are be angry for each other we'll put a plan together and we'll hopefully see what we can do and see if we can get you some contact with your little girl i believe you've got to believe maybe not fun but one day you're very brave and you're very strong my pleasure thank you all right we'll speak soon yes bye bye whenever i hear that a child's been taken to libya i can honestly say my heart sinks they don't necessarily recognize british court orders and so they're not obligated to enforce those orders with no viable legal roots and libya still in the midst of a civil war gossia's only hope may be an appeal to her mother-in-law's maternal instincts talia she's still so young and she needs to know her mom and i need to be with talia because she is just the one i need for [Music] craig michael is in poland looking for his abducted daughter crystal enlisted the help of child abduction recovery international specialists in returning abducted children i haven't seen crystal walk talk learn anything because she was so young when she was she was abducted so i've got a lot to catch up on and i'm looking forward to that craig's ex-partner marta has ignored court orders to return crystal [Music] so craig believes his only option is to catch martyr off guard they're following crystal's grandparents car waiting for the right moment to do this [Music] safely they've left mcdonald's and they've gone to another shop down the road which looks like they're parked in a car park so we're gonna go left mcdonald's there we go [Music] yep listen okay it is a positive id crystals with the grandparents only adam's plan is to beat the grandparents back to their house wait out of sight and then take crystal when she gets out of the car oh you ready let's just grab crystal okay this is them when i say go go moments later the grandparents car arrives seven people [Music] adam calls it off there are too many people to guarantee crystal safety [Music] yeah i've been waiting three years to stay crystal and all i wanted to do like is just run around that corner fight the world and take her back you know great just relax three days later craig takes a phone call from his lawyer it's potentially bad news robert roberts craig i hope you would be done with this by today she can apply it any second to the court for suspension of order and then we don't have legal grants to his ex-partner marta is appealing the court's decision to return crystal to cyprus based on the fact that she's been in poland for so long craig's legal right to return crystal may be suspended as long as it takes longer we're here every day from six in the morning we get up and we're here all day long in the freezing cold in out the cars and something's going to happen bad you know find me a way find me away all right bye i want to get in the house and take my daughter to safety of course you want to do that every father would every mother who has their kid taken would want to do that so how why am i still sitting here not doing it well craig if you want to do that i walk you do something silly you're going to get locked up i can't make that any clearer to you if that happens you're child would you smash that door down no you're going to get yourself in a lot of trouble and you won't see crystal again this is the way the beast works it's a [ __ ] now craig has to just completely calm down and that's a waiting game and you know if it does anything silly then we're not taking any responsibility uh as far as my organization goes and we'll walk the way you're going you're going to lose crystal you're going to blow it okay okay sorry all right adam mate you just need to chill out honestly you are going to blow the whole thing i won't either you will i won't i will not allow myself to we'll just calm down just seriously just deep breaths come suffraz khan had feared a potentially crippling legal bill in his court battle to find his abducted daughter amina the bill when it came was thirty thousand pounds still a lot of money but not enough to stop his surge he's turned to alison shanaby from reunite we've got a solicitor over in pakistan who's prepared to look at all of your judgments and anything else that we've got to show what's been going on under the proceedings in pakistan there are always every year core group of cases where there's huge barriers huge challenges trying to find those children and those cases just run on year after year it's heartbreaking because you you're dealing with these parents on a day-to-day basis and you're sharing their emotions you know how much it's the the damage it's causing to his parents the pain that they're going through reunite have brought in nick johnston a former interpol officer who worked on child abduction cases to pakistan [Music] your ex-wife so she's a doctor can she survive for long periods of time two three four five years without employment the work has to be done on trying to look at seeing where there's a weak link somewhere because there will be a trail i guess that when i first went searching farmina it wasn't a very organized approach and um i did a lot of things that maybe in hindsight i would have done if i was a lot cooler and calmer my main priority now is just to find her at least find her to even have half an hour with her and that would be a starting point for me [Music] giving up is not an option for sufras [Music] almost 70 percent of parents reunite help get their abducted children back [Music] though suffrage hasn't seen amina for more than three years now he remains optimistic i'm not alone you know there are a lot of parents who are in a similar situation we just have to deal with it and you know you know just don't give up i'm still trying all i can because that's all i have left as a parent is that motivation and that love for your child to try and find her [Music] craig and adam have been in poland for over a week they're waiting for the chance to take craig's abducted daughter crystal back to cyprus [Music] she's not left her grandparents house for six days so adam moves in closer to the end of their street [Music] the camera set up so it's basically heading looking straight down the footpath you can see just the edge of the car with the snow on it so anybody that comes out of that building this will pick it up [Music] just uh spotted marta leaving by herself it'll just be the grandparents with crystal if if they do decide to leave this afternoon [Music] after being parked up for the best part of a day suddenly the moment they've been waiting for crystal there's crystal see you on the road okay crystal's outside getting in the car this is it there's no way i'm leaving without the baby just confirmed crystal is in the car so it is going to happen tonight we're going to stick to the plan and wait for them to get back and do the recovery as easy as possible adam has been told that crystal's grandfather is a martial arts expert and may even be armed as a precaution he has a pepper spray which is legal in poland okay looks like they're coming home so everybody yeah get ready let's get out [Music] [Music] oh remember in and out no [ __ ] around [Music] okay [Music] okay here we go wow [Music] craig is a stranger to crystal he hasn't held her for two and a half years [Music] status adam is heading to the cypriot embassy in vienna they have assisted the recovery by arranging an emergency passport for crystal an hour later crystal falls asleep she's on her way to cyprus where she will see her sister cassie for the first time in two and a half years whether or not the two girls ever see their mother again is down to the courts and craig and mata finding a way to put aside their differences child abduction isn't about nationality it's not about the rights of one parent over the rights of another it's about the rights of a child to have a stable home environment and have a meaningful contact with both parents [Music] [Music] i'll never leave you again okay promise [Music] okay how do you feel craig [Music] i don't know there's no words i'm happy for her and i'm happy for her sister you know for two years marta has ignored the court rulings numerous court rulings she has no intention to hand crystal back regardless of what the authorities say this is the only way he would have had the chance to take his daughter back home to cyprus is to enforce the court rulings himself [Music] [Laughter] [Music] it seems gossia's only hope of holding her daughter talia is a letter to her mother-in-law dear mom i don't know how i can start the letter to you i love you and i like to say thank you so much for all what you do for tania i know that you are very close to tanya i can promise you that i will never take talia from you and make her you are her family and mine always love you and thank you for all lots of love for talia and family all moms they are the same they love the children so much more than anything so i hope so she can understand me that i need talia more than [Music] everything [Music] [Laughter] [Music] i know maybe we we are not together now i believe one time we will be together and i can hug and kiss her and say to her that i am a mom she will be always my girl and she will be always in my heart [Music] craig and crystal have a flight home to catch but first craig makes a skype video call to his father and his five-year-old daughter cassie hi uk hello there it's crystal look what i got cassie look what i got you look come on look at this there's your sister are you happy yeah [Music] you know to get in contact with us and let the children see each other just for the sake of the children it's all in the past now you know i had to do what i did and let's just concentrate on the future like craig i can't believe this just seeing you two together again it's just dream come through if there's anything just give me a call yet [Music] bye bye bravo she's amazingly happy to give us kisses and cuddles is just you know that's awesome and that's why we do this job just for the kids [Music] the sisters who were separated two and a half years ago are now together in cyprus [Music] since we finished filming we contacted marta she told us she was desperate and blames craig for separating her from her daughters her children are her life and all she wants is for them to be happy and to have a normal childhood [Music] what colors have you got there crystal in may 2015 mata pled guilty to child abduction and received an 18-month suspended sentence from a cypriot judge [Music] she's still fighting for custody of crystal in cyprus in 2014 whilst helping a british-based mother to recover her child adam whittington was arrested for entering singapore illegally restricting movement and causing harm adam told us he disputed the charges and his footage of the incident was withheld by the police to avoid six months in jail awaiting his trial he pleaded guilty he received a 10-week sentence and now continues his work suffraz's daughter amina is still missing he continues to fight through the courts he will not give up [Music] garcia has heard nothing from libya [Music] she hopes that her husband in prison will decide to help [Music] do [Music] [Laughter] you

Channel: True Lives

Views: 97,993

Keywords: our life, documentary, world documentary, documentary channel, award winning, life stories, best documentaries, daily life, real world, point of view, story, full documentary, history, abducted

Id: lyte-DhRRH8

Length: 45min 42sec (2742 seconds)

Published: Sun Jul 11 2021