Child Abduction

Child abduction, also called child theft, is the unauthorized removal of a minor from the custody of the child's parents or legally appointed guardians. The term covers the general offense of taking a child away from lawful custody without consent, distinct from the narrower and separately catalogued offense of a parent unlawfully removing a child across an international border, and distinct from fetal abduction, which involves the violent removal of an unborn child by cesarean rather than the taking of a living child already in someone's custody. Legal treatment of child abduction, including sentencing and the specific elements of the offense, varies between jurisdictions.