Children ‘hostages’ in parental disputes as abductions on rise

Every year up to 250,000 children go missing in Europe — many of them abducted by one of their parents.

The legal situation on custody following a couple separating or divorcing can be difficult when parents are from or are living in different countries.

The number of cross-border marriages in the EU is increasing and so too are the divorces, with about 140,000 last year.