Police persuade father to bring home his abducted daughter

A MOTHER has been reunited with her daughter who was abducted by her father during a visit to Turkey.

The woman, who is a Turkish national but who now lives in York, had taken her daughter and her eight-year-old son to visit their grandparents on July 27.

During the trip, however, the children’s father, who is separated from their mother, forcefully took both children and their passports.

A few days later, the boy managed to run away and was reunited with his mother, who has parental responsibility for both children. Her daughter remained with her father.

In spite of contacting the police in Turkey and a local judge, the woman was forced to return to York without the girl.

Turkish authorities would not intervene as she was with her natural father – even though he had used force to take her from her mother.

The 31-year-old reported her daughter's abduction to police in York on September 8.

York Council education department and Esme Madill, a volunteer from the charity Refugee Action York (RAY), made arrangements for the boy to return to England without his passport.

Detectives launched an investigation into what had happened and officers, wanting to avoid lengthy legal delays, decided to take action. After tracing a phone number for the father he was eventually persuaded to bring the girl home.

Although police had no power to arrest him on his return to Britain, he was served with numerous county court orders when he arrived at Manchester Airport. The injunctions instructed him to hand his daughter back to his wife and also prevented him from approaching the family or their home.

Det Chief Inspector Nigel Costello, of York CID, said: “This case emphasises how partnership working can overcome problems that seem impossible from the outset.”