Excellent to also hear from Ambassador Aloysio Marés Dias Gomide Filho, Department of Brazilian Communities and Consular Affairs, Rodrigo Meira Santos, General Coordinator for International Child Adoption and Abduction, and Juliana Santos Wahlgren on this deeply important and complex global issue.

I discussed the internal logic of the relevant legal frameworks, how they can function effectively in domestic custody contexts, but why they become so complex and restrictive in cross-border situations. I also highlighted the decisive role of diplomatic engagement in securing outcomes for children.

My thanks to Senator Mara Gabrilli and Senator Nelsinho Trad for leading this important discussion, and to the Secretariat of the Committee on Foreign Relations and National Defence for the invitation.

My research highlights prosecutions decades after the abduction event, with no evidence of deterrence. We need clear thresholds — and scrutiny of gender/race patterns.
Full article: www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

A key concern in the project is the lack of comprehensive reporting of prosecutions in the lower English criminal courts. Without this, the full scale and impact on parents and children remains unclear. #CriminalLaw #ParentalChildAbduction

#FamilyLaw #InternationalLaw #ChildProtection #ParentalAbduction #ComparativeLaw #CriminalLaw #Research #Judiciary #ISFL #UniversityOfOslo #NorFam

Grateful for the engaging discussions and the opportunity to connect with scholars, practitioners, and members of the judiciary working at the intersection of family and international law.

The event provided a valuable platform to present my new research project on criminal law responses to cross-border parental child abduction. I shared initial insights from my pilot study and outlined plans for expanding the project to encompass European and global contexts.