When children go missing, sometimes the cases involve parental kidnapping. It occurs when one parent takes a child out of the possession of another parent, usually sparked by intense conflict or divorce cases.
The state attorney general's office says these abductions can heighten during the holidays.
Deputy AG Amanda Leonard and Sharon Young, a mother whose three children were abducted by their father and taken to Mexico in the 1990s, joined The Conversation to discuss complicated custody cases in Hawaiʻi.
"When people think of kidnappings, I think they think of a stranger abduction. I don't think that they may be thinking of a parental abduction. But we respond to all of those incidents and assist the police in any way we can, and also bring in our federal partners to assist as well," Leonard said.
The state's Missing Child Center assists in the recovery of about 300 children a year, according to Leonard. These cases can be lost children, family abductions or endangered runaways — which are the center's largest caseload.
Young said children are most frequently abducted during holidays or summer vacations.
"My own kids were abducted during summer vacation. So it gives the other person more time to get away, especially if they have some custody rights," she said.
Young penned that story in a new book out this month to help families who are struggling with custody issues. To order the book, click here.
If your child is missing, contact law enforcement at 911 immediately. For resources on child abduction in Hawaiʻi, click here.
This story aired on The Conversation on Dec. 4, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
