More than 1,400 children involved in tug-of-loves over the last 10 years

MORE than 1,400 children were caught up in international tug-of-loves over the last 10 years by parents who abducted them either in Ireland or brought them here from abroad.

Seventy-two international parental abduction cases were logged by the Department of Justice last year.

About half the cases relate to children taken out of Ireland by a parent of guardian.

They face up to seven years in prison if prosecuted.

But there are understood to be hundreds of other cases where children are abducted but the parent remains in the State.

A major conference on the issue yesterday heard one legal expert urge the Government to change the law because abduction within the State is not a criminal offence.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell, a senior garda detective, and Christine O’Sullivan, the mother of a child abducted and killed by her father, were among the speakers at the Dublin conference, organised by the Irish Centre for Parentally Abducted Children.

Ms O’Sullivan, whose daughter Deirdre was abducted by her father Chris, told the traumatic tale of living without knowing the whereabouts of her child.

But she advised those in the same situation: “Never ever give up.”

The conference concentrated on international abductions, either in or out of the State, and in particular the Hague Convention on child abduction.

Mr McDowell said: “It’s a traumatic experience for parents and children. Attempts to have a child returned can stretch a parent to his or her emotional or financial limits.

"In a situation where the abduction is across national borders, these problems are exacerbated to a considerable degree.”

There is no breakdown of the 72 cases initiated last year. However, figures released yesterday by the Justice Department reveal that 65 cases involving 96 children were logged in 2001.

The majority involved children being taken from or brought to England and Wales.

The department also dealt with 12 cases connected to the US and 11 in relation to the North.

Of the 102 files that passed through the department 23 court orders were made and 22 were waiting a resolution.

In the small majority of international cases, children are abducted by the mother.

The worst year was 1995 when 184 children were taken.