Filmmaker Peter Thomas Senese & Florida Family Law Attorney Patricia M. Lee Interview With 'The Hour of Truth & Honesty' Radio Host Bill Peterseim

Patricia M. Lee

 Recently, Patricia Lee, who in my opinion is one of our country's leading international family law attorneys and an incredible expert in international parental child abduction, and I had the privelage of sitting with radio talk show host Bill Peterseim on his 'Hour Of Truth & Integrity' broadcast by World Action Radio and Television Network (WATV).



Bill Peterseim

 Our interview with Bill Peterseim evolved around international parental child abduction prevention and new policy initiatives Patricia and me, along with other advocates such as Carolyn Vlk, Joel Walter, Jill-Jones Soderman, and David Bokel have been seeking to have enacted.

The interview runs one hour long, and is filled with great insight on this growing epidemic that could very well victimize over 100,000 American children alone from now until 2020.

CLICK HERE to listen to the interview.

To sign our White House petition site in support on new child abduction prevention laws, CLICK HERE.

To learn more about our initiatives please visit the official website of Chasing The Cyclone or the official website of Peter Thomas Senese.

Peter Senese: Honesty and Integrity In Child Custody Matters

As the rapidly expanding malignant tentacles known as international parental child abduction cruelly grasp at defenseless innocent children in countries around the world it is imperative that governments everywhere defend against this malice by passing and upholding local and national child abduction prevention laws. Critically, lawmakers must create abduction prevention laws while law enforcement and the judiciary must carefully uphold these laws that were created to protect innocence: our children.

As the vast majority of individuals around the world who advocate for targeted children will testify to, the most crucial component needed to fight the global war of international parental child abduction – and make no mistake: it is a war – is for child abduction prevention laws to be created and fully enforced.

Unfortunately, one of the heartbreaking issues that targeted parents face today is the great challenge and difficulties of having a court actually uphold new laws pertaining to risk factors associated with a potential child abduction. Judicial ignorance can no longer be an unspoken acceptable truth, and Lady Justice must remove her blindfold in the name of defending a child at risk of the horrific crime of parental kidnapping.

Lady Justice, hundreds of thousands of children each year targeted for cross-border criminal abduction need you to see. Today.

Before I go further, I will share an opinion many other targeted parents of abduction I have spoken to share with me: If a court handling a potential child abduction case establishes a zero tolerance policy toward any form of perjury, then the chicanery and intended fraudulent actions of a parent intending to mislead the court and abduct a child may actually be re-considered. A pretty simple policy: if you lie to the court, particularly when it comes to a child’s welfare, then you better be prepared to pay the consequences for your action: sitting in a cell for a period of time and losing your access privileges to your child that you previously may have been entitled to.

Presently, I am voluntarily assisting in several potential abduction cases, including a few cases that are located in the State of Florida. For those of you who may not be aware, on January 1st, 2011 Florida’s ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ that was drafted by child abduction prevention advocate and my good friend, Carolyn Vlk, became law. The law mandates judges to assess risk factors associated with a potential international child abduction and issue orders that will protect the targeted child and parent from a possible abduction.

However, in certain cases to which I am familiar with, there have been notable failures by the courts to fully utilize the new child abduction prevention law and carefully consider risk factors associated with a potential abduction as has been mandated under the new law.

Tragically, when a judge fails to uphold any child abduction prevention law, they have broken their fiduciary responsibility to protect a child. Equally, when a court fails to consider the criteria established under the new law, they are sending the worst type of message possible: that child abduction prevention laws mean nothing and would-be abductors will not be held accountable for their conspiracy to criminally abduct a child. And this – particularly when it comes to our children – is unthinkable.

The bottom line in weighing risk factors for a court is that a judge must ask this rather simple questions to themselves: ‘What if I am wrong and the child disappears? What true recourse does the targeted parent have to recover the child?”

Well, any knowledgeable judge will know that once a child is removed from their local jurisdiction and taken to another country, the jurisdiction of their court ceases to exist for all intensive purposes. Now jurisdiction belongs to the international courts, so long as the arriving country (the country where the child was illegally taken to) participates in an international treaty such as the 'Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction'. Regrettably, too many nations, including most Asian and Middle Eastern countries are not members of the Hague Convention, while other countries such as Mexico and Brazil are known to not uphold the international treaty they freely signed.

Truly, attempting to navigate an international parental child abduction is like ‘Chasing The Cyclone’.

Consider this: presently there are approximately 230 American children criminally detained in Japan due to a parental kidnapping. Japan is not a member of the Hague Convention. No American child-citizen abducted to Japan has ever been returned. Ever.

Or perhaps a judge should consider the difficulties that a targeted mother would face if her child were kidnapped to Saudi Arabia or any other Middle Eastern country. The prospect of mom safely bringing their child home is near non-existent.

So what exactly is it that a judge must do?

Act prudently at all times and in all circumstances while carefully investigating every aspect of each unique case. Additionally, the court must realize that for many, the international courts are extraordinarily difficult to navigate, that is, if a venue really even exists for a targeted parent to attempt to seek judicial intervention.

One component not often spoken about when considering risk factors is when a parent who may abduct files a (false) police report against the other parent. In scenarios such as this, the court must be mindful that international parental child abduction is a premeditated and well-planned act against both the abducted child and the left behind targeted parent, and that the parent planning an abduction is more than likely familiar with the international laws available to them that they may use to sanction their disobedience before the court.

Specifically, Article 13 of the Hague Convention reads:

Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding Article, the judicial or administrative authority of the requested State is not bound to order the return of the child if the person, institution or other body which opposes its return establishes that –

a) the person, institution or other body having the care of the person of the child was not actually exercising the custody rights at the time of removal or retention, or had consented to or subsequently acquiesced in the removal or retention; or

b) there is a grave risk that his or her return would expose the child to physical or psychological harm or otherwise place the child in an intolerable situation.

The judicial or administrative authority may also refuse to order the return of the child if it finds that the child objects to being returned and has attained an age and degree of maturity at which it is appropriate to take account of its views.

In considering the circumstances referred to in this Article, the judicial and administrative authorities shall take into account the information relating to the social background of the child provided by the Central Authority or other competent authority of the child's habitual residence.

When a parent who is believed to be a potential abductor files a police report against the other parent the court must consider the validity of the complaint and move with great caution because the potential abductor may have now created a plausible but misleading defense under Article 13 of the Hague Convention that a return of the child back to the child’s country of origin may not be in the best interest of the child.

Thus, court’s must be especially mindful that if a parent is able to illegally depart the country of origin with the child, the difficulties of the targeted parent being able to legally return the child has grown exponentially. This said, the court’s must also consider if a complaint may be valid and act accordingly in the name of the best interest of the child.

The bottom line is this: we’re living in a multi-cultural society where individuals from around the world meet and have a child. At times, like in any other relationship, couples will separate or divorce. Unfortunately, too often the child of the partnership is used as a pawn in order to cause great hardship and pain to the targeted parent. International child abduction occurs, and is growing at substantial rates as shared in the report Carolyn Ann Vlk and I have published titled ‘Crisis In America: International Parental Child Abduction Today’. And most concerning is the fact that certain government policies such as the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative have created loopholes for abduction (Click Here to read Peter Senese and Carolyn Vlk's report)

Therefore in lieu of the rapidly growing epidemic now at hand, it is the courts and their sitting judges who offer children with their best defense so long as these judges do not put their head in the sand and mistreat the issues of a potential threat of abduction with an uneducated view of the seriousness of the matters at hand. In order for a court to fulfill its duty to the child-citizens they are obligated to protect, a judge must consider all the risk factors of a potential abduction and act swiftly, boldly, and with action that will secure the safety and welfare of both targeted child and targeted parent.

Perhaps the best overall indicator of an abduction threat is when a parent with strong ties to another country is found to be dishonest to or mislead the court during any matters when it comes to the welfare of a child. Perhaps if the courts upheld the integrity of the procedures before them, including holding a parent accountable for perjury or contempt, judges may be able to prevent the cruelty of storms from descending on a child. Perhaps each court hearing involving a child’s welfare should begin with a judge saying, “Welcome to my courtroom. I want both parties to know that if either of you act in any dishonest way or fail to obey my direction in any capacity, I will hold you in contempt of court. Now let’s proceed.”

For more information on international parental child abduction please visit Chasing The Cyclone. To visit Peter Thomas Senese's official website, please Click Here.

Florida Child Abduction Act Passes Unanimously Senate and House Floor Votes

Today members of Florida’s Senate joined the members of Florida’s House of Representatives in demonstrating great leadership by passing unanimously Florida’s groundbreaking ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ sponsored by child advocates Representative Darryl Rouson (St. Petersburg) and Senator Eleanor Sobel (Ft. Lauderdale). HB 787 will become law once Governor Crist signs the bill, as he expected to within the next few days.

On a House floor vote that occurred yesterday, HB 787 passed unanimously with 115 ‘Yeas’ to 0 ‘Nays’. Today, the Senate unanimously passed the legislation with 38 ‘Yeas’ and 0 ‘Nays’ votes.

Representative Darryl Rouson, who sponsored and guided the landmark legislation through the House of Representatives said, “Our children in the state of Florida have every right to be protected from any and all forms of abuse. The ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ will in fact protect our children from the abuse associated with the criminal act of child stealing. With an estimated 16,000 international child abductions alone in our country last year – a number that is growing at 40% per year - how could we as lawmakers not act expeditiously in order to protect our state’s and nation’s future: our treasured children? We simply cannot. It required a great deal of work, but today we now wait for Governor Crist’s signing of this bill into law. I say with great pride that the lawmakers of the great state of Florida realized the importance of this law and acted unilaterally for the best interest of the children of our state.”

Carolyn Ann Vlk, the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ bill author, stated, “Today is a wondrous day! What began as not much more that a mother’s dream is now almost a reality. When I began writing Florida’s ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ it was my greatest desire that my home state put into place child abduction prevention legislation that could be utilized as precedence for other states. As soon as Governor Crist signs the proposed legislation into law, we will have that ability. Words cannot adequately express my appreciation for the bipartisan support exhibited while working together in creating legislation to protect all children. This is a moment I have long awaited and showcases democracy at its finest. What an outstanding day for the children and families of Florida.”

According to leading experts and advocates who focus in the area of parental child abduction, prevention law is critical. Outspoken children’s advocate and author of ‘Chasing The Cyclone’, Peter Thomas Senese, one of the bill’s lead advocates, added, “Child abduction prevention laws are a necessity and an integral part of each state’s ability to protect the best interests of their children-citizens who are at risk of abduction. Without a court’s ability to consider risk factors associated with a potential threat of abduction combined with the capability to act in ways that would prevent this crime from happening, the growing malignant plague of international parental child abduction that has silently swept through our nation will continue to increase. What is at risk as a nation is the disappearance of our most precious commodity: our children. And with international parental child abduction growing at approximately rapidly, laws such as Florida’s ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ will be our nation’s first line of defense against international parental child abduction. I suspect that many states that do not have preventive laws have now watched the great leadership Florida’s legislators demonstrated today. As a successful Chasing Parent who knows all too well the horrors associated with chasing the cyclones of international parental child abduction, I am deeply pleased in the knowledge that parents and their children who will come after me will benefit from the extensive effort put forth. No child or parent should ever have to know what it is like to have one parent attempt to steal and disappear with your child. This law will prevent much of this from happening. And I want to add that so much thanks must be extended to the amazing writer and spirit of the legislation, Carolyn Ann Vlk, and to Representative Darryl Rouson and his legislative aide Henry Moseley, Senator Eleanor Sobel and her legislative aide Nick Matthews, and the rest of the team that put their hearts, spirit, and best effort into guiding the passage of this what we expect to be an incredible law. Today is a great day for not only the children of Florida, but children our entire nation.”

Chasing Parent Captain William Lake, the father of Mary Victoria, who remains in Japan despite court orders seeking her rightful return stated, “ I am so pleased with today’s outcome in Florida’s Senate. It is my hope that through the passage of this law, children will no longer be deprived from the loving relationships of both parents. Unfortunately, too many children who are abducted come to believe that the left behind parent does not care or love them, when this is not true or accurate. No child should ever have to experience abduction and the denial of the other parent due to deceitful actions by the other parent. In my lobbying of this legislation, it was my desire to have a law passed that will protect innocent children from ever experiencing the unfair storms of parental abduction.”

If signed by child advocate Governor Crist as expected, HB 787 – The ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ will go into effect on January 1st, 2011.

Carolyn Ann Vlk concluded, “As the bill’s author, I would like to share with the people of my state that none of this would have been possible if it were not for Representative Darryl Rouson. He is a champion of our children. And Senator Eleanor Sobel acted in great ways to protect the children of our state. I want to thank each of them, along with their respective legislative aides, Henry Moseley and Nick Matthews, for all they have done.”

For more information, please visit:
www.floridachildabductionpreventionact.info
www.chasingthecyclone.com

Florida Child Abduction Act Passes House Committee: Parents Of Over 200 U.S. Children Criminally Held In Japan Rally In D.C.

As Florida’s House Of Representative ‘Policy Council’ Unanimously Passes today the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ bill, the loving parents of over 200 criminally abducted children still in Japan are rallying this weekend in Washington DC in conjunction with the Cherry Blossom Festival, urging Japan to release their wrongfully detained children.

If Florida’s lawmakers needed to see first-hand the importance of Representative Darryl Rouson’s sponsored ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ bill, all that is needed is for these policymakers to look into the eyes or listen to the voices of the fathers and mothers of ‘Bring Abducted Children Home’ who are uniting and rallying this weekend in Washington, D.C. to demonstrate their disapproval and anger over Japan’s refusal to return over 200 United States children-citizens – many their own children – who were criminally detained in Japan.

Perhaps the lawmakers who sat on child advocate Representative Llorente’s ‘Policy Council’ had considered the fact that Japan has never returned an abducted child to the United States, when they unanimously voted on advancing Carolyn Ann Vlk’s authored ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ bill.

Next up for this critical bill that if made into law would allow courts to consider risk factors associated with a potential parental child abduction and to order remedies that would prevent such abduction from occurring, is for the House’s ‘Criminal and Justice Council’, to vote on the bill this Tuesday, April 13th, 2010. The council is chaired by Representative Snyder, who is known to be a defender and protector of children.

Representative Darryl Rouson, a lawmaker with a long and impressive history of advocating for children everywhere commented, “I am extremely pleased with the leadership that came out of Chairman Llorente’s ‘Policy Council’ this morning. Today marks the fifth legislative committee that the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ bill passed unanimously. Most of us policymakers in Tallahassee are parents or grandparents – we realize just how important it is to create laws that not only will protect our children, but will also protect the parents of our children who act in the best interest of our children. Prevention law is critical – and all you have to do is look at Washington, D.C. today and hear the pain in the voices of all of those loving parents who have had their children criminally abducted to Japan. And not one of our U.S. citizens has been returned home? This is beyond unthinkable. My prayers are with these illegally detained children and their parents as they fight the necessary fight to bring abducted children home! And this is why we, the lawmakers in Florida need to continue our expedite action of making the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ bill a law.”

Peter Thomas Senese, the author of the critically acclaimed ‘Chasing The Cyclone’ and producer of the groundbreaking documentary film ‘Chasing Parents’ said, “I am very pleased to see Representative Llorente’s leadership today as the ‘Policy Council’ passed unanimously the landmark bill my friend Carolyn Vlk authored. This bill will prevent many child abductions in Florida from happening. And by Florida demonstrating leadership, new laws will be passed in other states that will prevent abductions from occurring there. And that is why we’re all doing what we’re doing: to protect our innocent children from experiencing the cruelty of parental child abduction. As Representative Rouson pointed out, all you need to understand the nightmare that occurs in most every case is to look at the ordeal the parents of ‘Bring Abducted Children Home’ are doing this weekend in Washington, D.C. I mean, how could we not have preventive laws in place when countries like Japan have never returned a criminally parentally abducted child regardless if the abductor is a Japanese national or not? We need these laws, and we need them now. Fortunately, Representative Rouson realized that and acted. Unfortunately though, if lawmakers and the public in general had understood the reality of these types of abduction crimes, I am certain preventive laws would have been passed earlier, and parents like my friend William Lake, a Florida resident, would not be in D.C. protesting Japan’s shameful behavior. And on that note, I want to urge the public to look for and support the members of BAC Home who will be rallying this weekend during the Cherry Blossom Festival. They really need all the support they can receive.”

The cases of international abduction are endless. Each is different, yet they all have common threads that tie them together. Two of these threads are that a child that has been criminally abducted is removed from the child’s jurisdiction of habitual residency. The other is that the loving Chasing Parents left behind in the wake of their child’s abduction have limited resources available to bring their children home. Examples of this include loving parent Nigel Lewis’ pursuit of his abducted children Jasmyn and Cody, or Captain William Lake’s pursuit of his daughter Mary Victoria, or Commander Paul Toland’s desire to see his daughter Erika, or Doug Berg’s vigilance and endless effort to reunite with his children Gunnar and Kianna. Look at the action of Chris Savoie, who attempted to rescue his children Isaac and Rebecca, or the tragedy that Richard Wood faces in dealing with his daughter Tytiana, and son, Byron’s return. Sadly, the list goes on.

Brett Weed, the Vice President of Children’s Rights Council – Oregon Chapter and a Chasing Parent left staring at Japan’s black hole said, “According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 16: “The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.” Both countries involved in international cases of abduction are in violation of this article if uncompromising efforts are not made in the recovery efforts of an abducted child.”

T. Miklia, another Chasing Parent said, “How much longer will the loss of U.S. children be considered good international policy and an acceptable by-product of U.S./Japan relations?”

Carolyn Ann Vlk, the author of ‘The Child Abduction Prevention Act’ sponsored by Representative Rouson and Senator Sobel added, “My heart breaks in learning of the tragedy after tragedy that each of these and many other parents must endure in the face of having a child abducted, particularly across international borders. I can’t imagine what it would be like to wake up every day and not see my child, who was an at-risk child. I hope and imagine that the lawmakers here in my state of Florida are not only listening to the voices of the loving parents in our state who are urging for this critical piece of legislation to be made into law, but I hope they hear the voices and see the faces of our friends in Washington this weekend. Surely, they will come to realize that the issue of parental child abduction is global in nature and perhaps more complex and heartbreaking than they could ever imagine. I urge the lawmakers in my wonderful state to pass the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ bill and share with the world that the crime of parental child abduction will not be tolerated in our state, and in civilized nations, for that matter. And finally, if you’re in Washington over the coming days, please take the time to visit the parents from ‘Bring Abducted Children Home’. They need your support. Their children desperately need your support.”

For more information on the Florida ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’, please visit www.floridachildabductionpreventinact.info. For more information on Bring Abducted Children Home, please visit www.bachome.org. For more information on ‘Chasing The Cyclone’, Peter Thomas Senese, or international parental child abduction, please visit www.chasingthecyclone.com.

'Chasing The Cyclone' Provides Great Insight Into Child Abduction. Florida Lawmakers Grasp New Book As Prevention Legislation Grows

Author, Filmmaker, and Children’s Advocate Peter Thomas Senese is a successful Chasing Parent committed to raising society’s awareness on the dangers that exist when a child is abducted by one parent from another. In the United States, it is estimated that approximately 400,000 parental child abductions occur each year, with an estimated 10,000 of these abduction crimes against defenseless children being international in nature. Tragically, many internationally abducted children are never returned. Too many are lost forever.

The arsenal of skillfully crafted and riveting tools the outspoken children’s advocate has created in order to educate others about the travesty of child abduction include the critically acclaimed upcoming worldwide publication of Chasing The Cyclone and the release of the now completed groundbreaking documentary film Chasing Parents: Racing Into The Storms Of International Parental Child Abduction. Both book and film will be released in multiple languages, including French and Spanish.

In commenting about the growing success of Chasing The Cyclone and Chasing Parents: Racing Into The Storms Of International Parental Child Abduction, Peter Thomas Senese stated, “When I wrote Chasing The Cyclone and when I produced the film Chasing Parents I did so with one goal in mind, and that was to be able to create thoughtful, provoking, and highly educational entertainment vehicles that would shake the tree and raise global awareness on the terrible and dangerous plight of innocent children and targeted parents who must unexpectedly race into some of the darkest, and at times, deadliest storms you could ever imagine once a child is abducted, particularly across international borders. But education in itself was not my specific goal – the real target was to be able to use these products in order to assist in changing the legal landscape for children and victimized parents. This meant to strongly participate in the dialogue of creating laws that would serve our nation’s children.

“International Parental Child Abduction is no joke. It is a growing worldwide epidemic that could be halted in its tracks if two critical actions unilaterally take place. Critically, the first is that preventive laws must be established that would enable local courts of jurisdiction the opportunity to assess risk factors and act accordingly before an international parental child abduction occurs. The second task is that all nations must be held accountable for harboring parental child abductors who steal children across international borders either as a direct breach of the Hague Convention or as a direct violation of laws originating from the child’s place of original jurisdiction.”

Peter Thomas Senese has been one of the main orchestrators behind the advancement of Florida’s lawmakers to pass the state’s Child Abduction Prevention Act written by advocate Carolyn Ann Vlk, and sponsored by Representative Darryl Rouson and Senator Eleanor Sobel. Presently, The legislation has passed unanimously through two Senate Committees and one House Committee. The bill is expected to be placed before to legislative councils for review in the coming week. Over the past month, Senese has provided members of both Florida’s Senate and House of Representatives with copies of Chasing The Cyclone, and, has directed many legislators and their aides to the Chasing The Cyclone website, where they have been able to view the specifically created educational segments of Chasing Parents: Racing Into The Storms Of International Parental Child Abduction.

“It has been very satisfying to know that the true intent in creating Chasing The Cyclone and producing Chasing Parents – which was to inform lawmakers on the real challenges of child abduction, and offer solutions that could reduce the number of crimes against our children is actually having the impact I envisioned and hoped for when I first set out to create these tools. Having spent substantial time in person or on the telephone with Florida’s policymakers and their legislative aides, it is truly gratifying to learn that people are paying attention to the works I have created. And it is most pleasing to see the number of online viewers based in Tallahassee who have spent time watching the educational documentary film I and Ken Connelly – who was a victim of abduction and is one of our lead advocates on this bill – have created. And though we know we, along with Captain William Lake and Carolyn Ann Vlk all know we have a long way to go and a short time to get there before this bill becomes law, it is satisfying to know that my efforts may be making a difference. And make no mistake, the goal is high: It is to create law that will protect our children.”

Carolyn Ann Vlk, Florida’s Child Abduction Prevention Act and chief architect added, “The assistance of Peter Thomas Senese, the author of the critically acclaimed Chasing The Cyclone, and the producer/narrator of Chasing Parents: Racing Into The Storms of International Parental Child Abduction, to bring this legislation to the forefront of Florida’s legislators has been immeasurable. Peter Thomas’ professionalism, dedication, organization, commitment, and skills as a writer, speaker, filmmaker, and advocate has had a far-reaching effect. Whether it was sending a vast number of Florida’s lawmakers copies of ‘Chasing The Cyclone’, or directing them to view the documentary film on abduction, ‘Chasing Parents’, or creating the bill’s website, or flying into Tallahassee to speak before our legislative government, or paying for airline tickets so other advocates can petition our Senators and Representatives, Peter Thomas Senese has been open, fully committed, and unselfish. His willingness to share his personal story as that of a chasing parent while recovering his own child has touched the hearts of many, including the legislators he has met or communicated with. I am eternally grateful for his dedication, his ability to educate our lawmakers by providing them with copies of Chasing The Cyclone and creating the documentary Chasing Parents – all have played a significant role in creating further understanding for our lawmakers. I deeply respect his commitment to assist with the implementation of a law that will prevent other families from experiencing the tragedy of child abduction. Peter Thomas Senese’ impact has been far reaching.

The Author of Throwing Stones, the landmark book on child abduction written from the eyes of an abducted child, Mr. Ken Connelly stated, “Peter Thomas Senese, is a Chasing Parent who unexpectedly entered the world of international parental child abduction. However, working through The Hague Courts, Peter successfully reunited with his child. The obstacles he faced were extraordinary, but Peter Thomas Senese did what he needed to in order to protect his son, and bring him home. When considering the remarkable act of reunification, what stands out just as impressive is how Peter Thomas Senese, realizing just how fortunate he and his own son were, decided to try and make a difference for others by educating society on the dangers and difficulties all parties face when a parental child abduction occurs. So he has created several valuable tools for other parents that presently are or may one day have to deal with parental child abduction. This includes writing the powerful and impactful book Chasing The Cyclone penned under Peter Thomas, and which I highly recommend. In producing CHASING PARENTS: Racing Into The Storms Of International Parental Child Abduction, Peter consulted with me on numerous occasions with respect to all aspects of this film, including the perspective and needs of a child who was abducted. It was out intent to be able to increase the public’s understanding on abduction, and help change the legal environment responsible for overseeing the best interest of children.”

Peter Thomas Senese, the father who dropped everything and chased into the cyclones of abduction and after his own child said, “If you are a parent chasing after your child, you must know hope, know faith, and allow the love you have for your child or children to fuel you. And never, never give up in the belief that you will bring your child home.”

Chasing The Cyclone, the thrilling, gut-wrenching, and gripping love story of a father and his son, penned under Peter Thomas, and praised by critiques as a book all loving parents or individuals who hope to have children must read, will be released in hardcover wherever books are sold on June 1st, 2010. Chasing Parents: Racing Into The Storms Of International Parental Child Abduction, the documentary film on international parental child abduction, will be released in late June, and will be made complimentary of charge to all courts, legislators, and children advocacy organizations involved with child abduction courtesy of Pacifica TWST.

For more information please visit www.chasingthecyclone.com

Florida Moves Forward Toward Passing Child Abduction Prevention Act

I am pleased to share that the State of Florida is moving forward toward passing into statutory law a bill now before its Senate and House of Representatives that will provide courts and judges with the ability to assess risk factors associated with a potential parental child abduction. Representative Rouson, Senator Sobel, Carolyn Ann Vlk, Ken Connelly, and I have worked very hard to bring light to this bill. The following is a press releases issued yesterday:

St. Petersburg, Los Angeles, New York

MARCH 16th, 2010



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



Lawmakers in Florida’s Legislature Move Forward On ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ Bill As A Growing Number Of Citizens Express Intolerance Of Acts Of Parental Child Abduction.

Florida’s legislature is moving forward on a strong parental child abduction prevention bill as lawmakers in the state and across the country have come to realize the unmistakable immediate necessity to place protective laws against abduction in order to protect the hundreds of thousands of defenseless children who are criminally stolen and abused.

The ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ (CAPA) bill, known in the Florida Senate as SB1862 and in Florida’s House of Representatives as adjoining bill HB787, if passed, will amend Florida Statute §61.45 by adding certain risk factors of child abduction and provides a list of preventative measures a judge may use to prevent these abductions from occurring. Inclusion of these provisions will strengthen Florida’s weak law and bring it into conformity with the ‘Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act’ (UPACA), which has been enacted by ten states. In a nation where there are over 370,000 parental child abductions that occur each year, a number that apparently is growing, the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ clearly will prevent the number of abductions within the state of Florida, if passed.

The bill was filed by children’s advocate and champion Representative Daryl Rouson, and has been referred to Florida ’s House of Representatives ‘Public Safety and Domestic Security Policy Committee’. Representative Rouson has demonstrated throughout his career a willingness to take great initiative to assist children.

Representative Kevin Ambler, who heads the ‘Public Safety and Domestic Security Policy Committee’ is no stranger to the family law issues. A portion of Representative Ambler’s law practice focused on family law and children’s welfare. Representative Ambler has placed the bill on his committee’s hearing schedule for Tuesday, March 23rd. The hopes and safety of hundreds of thousands of children in the state who may one day be at risk now rest on Representative Ambler’s ‘Public Safety and Domestic Security Policy Committee’, and the committee chairman’s advocacy for innocent, defenseless children who are at risk of abduction.

Peter Thomas Senese, the author of the critically acclaimed upcoming book ‘Chasing The Cyclone’ and producer of the documentary film ‘Chasing Parents: Racing Into the Storms of International Parental Child Abduction’ stated “Representative Ambler and the rest of the committee members have a very unique and exciting opportunity to make in immediate and long-lasting impact in Florida state law in the name of the best interest of children next week by passing through committee the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ bill. I speak from personal experience when I say that if preventive laws, including a court’s ability to weigh and assess risk factors associated with potential parental child abduction did exist, I would not be speaking out on this issue the way I am. Unfortunately, that is not the case. But there is hope in Florida, and it now rests on Representative Ambler’s shoulders to demonstrate leadership for our children by passing this critically important bill.”

On Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 the State of Florida took a major first step in protecting that state’s children from the horror of parental child abduction. In a bill sponsored by Senator Eleanor Sobel, a unanimous vote of eight ‘Yeas’ and zero ‘Nays’ occurred before the Florida State Senate’s ‘Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee’, the Senate moved through its first committee the critically important ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’. The Senate’s next step is to have the bill voted on by its ‘Judiciary Committee’, which should happen in the forthcoming weeks. If the bill passes a Judiciary Committee vote, it will then move forward to the ‘Civil Justice Appropriations Committee’, before a final vote before the Senate.

In order to bring awareness of the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ bill now before Florida’s lawmakers, a group of children’s advocates familiar with parental child abduction, including Carolyn Ann Vlk, Ken Connelly, Peter Thomas Senese, Larry Synclair, Charles Hamilton, Bryan Lee McGlothin, Tammy Searle, and Barbara Mezo have urged lawmakers to pass this much need bill. The group has created an informative website, including a petition site, that addresses the proposed ‘Act’ (www.floridachildabductionpreventionact.info).

Carolyn Ann Vlk, the author of the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ bill now before the House and Senate stated, “Please carefully consider what we are attempting to implement. In my humble opinion the biggest obstacle we face is a lack of education across the board . . . parents, judges, family court personnel, and policy makers. This deficiency has served to empower potential abductors and compromises the safety of children. Without risk assessment in determining where a credible risk exists, decisions are made that could place a child in unnecessary danger. Parental child abduction is a national tragedy and an immediate remedy is necessary. Please join us in our efforts to protect our most vulnerable members of society - our children."

Floridian resident Larry Synclair, the author of our nation’s first state preventive laws (California) adds, “HB 787 illustrates the need to prevent parental abduction and other states should take similar action. When I sat down to research and write the draft of a bill that would later become the Synclair-Cannon Act, I felt compelled to close gaps in a state’s legal system that allowed children to fall into the hands of abducting parents. California saw the need for the bill and quickly incorporated it into their family code. Today, parents from other states have boldly stepped up to demand laws that will protect their children from this horrific crime that is often ignored by judicial officials. Florida’s HB 787 calls for an implementation of measures that could hinder future acts of abduction. Children need more legislation like this to protect them from this escalating crime."??

Charles Hamilton, left-behind parent of Dakota Carmen Hamilton, stated that “If the ‘Synclair-Cannon Parental Child Abduction Prevention Act’ or a California version of Florida’s HB-787 had existed when my daughter was stolen, the courts would have been armed with the evidence to prevent my daughter’s kidnapping to Spain on December 8, 1996. Failure to sign HB 787 into law will only allow more children in Florida to become victims of this horrible and preventable crime just like my daughter.”

Tammy Searle, a left-behind parent and children’s advocate, now fighting desperately for the return of her daughter is a strong advocate of the present bill and intends to provide the House with testimony next week, along with many of the other children advocates.

Bryan Lee McGlothin, author of ‘Have You Seen My Mother: True Story of Parental Abduction’ stated it best, by reminding the citizens of Florida that "Children have rights and those rights include having both parents in the child's life.”

??Collectively, Florida’s lawmakers and advocates pass urge the citizens of Florida to contact their local representatives and urge them to support the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ now before its legislative body.

“The reality is that none of us who speak out on this issue would be doing so if we did not experience first-hand the nightmare of child abduction. Truth is, most of us didn’t even know what parental child abduction was, or just how severe of a crime this is against our children,” Peter Thomas Senese added. “I personally urge every lawmaker to stand behind Representative Rouson and Senator Sobel’s initiative and draw a line in the sand, so to speak, in the name of protecting our children.”

For more information please visit www.floridachildabductionpreventionact.info

Florida Lawmakers, Authors and Children’s Advocates Urge Florida Legislature to Pass Child Abduction Prevention Act.

Florida State Senator Eleanor Sobel and House Representative Darryl Rouson, along with authors and children advocates Peter Thomas Senese, Ken Connelly, Carolyn Ann Vlk, Bryan Lee McGlothin, Larry Synclair, and Charles Hamilton urge all Florida legislators to support the Child Abduction Prevention Act now before Florida’s Senate and House.

Peter Thomas Senese, author of Chasing The Cyclone stated “Any child or parent who has faced domestic or international parental child abduction knows the severity of this crime against an innocent child is a dangerous infraction against the child’s physical safety and emotional stability. Unfortunately, there still exists a wrong perception that this worldwide epidemic falls in the realm of a civil custody dispute rather than the criminal act against innocence that it is. For the growing number of parents who are unexpectedly thrust into the storms of having a child abducted, these parents know without question that their child’s safety is potentially at risk, that child abduction is not a civil matter, and the lack of legal remedy, including preventative laws all children have a right to, are poor at best. Each state, including Florida, must adopt strong preventive laws in the name of the best interest of their children-citizens.”

A staggering 370,000 children are parentally child abducted on average every year in the United States. Yet few states have abduction preventive laws in place.

However, on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 the State of Florida took a major first step in protecting that state’s children from the horror of parental child abduction. In a bill sponsored by Senator Eleanor Sobel, a unanimous vote of eight ‘Yeas’ and zero ‘Nays’ occurred before the Florida State Senate’s Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee, the Senate moved through its first committee the critically important abduction preventive bill titled the Child Abduction Prevention Act. The Senate’s next step is to have the bill voted on by its Judiciary Committee, which should happen in the forthcoming weeks. If the bill passes a Judiciary Committee vote, it will then move forward to the Civil Justice Appropriations Committee, before a final vote before the Senate.

Senator Eleanor Sobel commented that “I am pleased with the unanimous and bipartisan support that the Child Abduction Prevention Act received in the Senate. This law will help prevent children from the agony of being abducted from Florida by adding risk factors for the judge to consider and arming that judge with the increased preventative measures.”

Florida’s House of Representatives is expected in the near future.

The bill was filed by children’s advocate Representative Daryl Rouson and has been referred to Florida ’s House of Representatives Public Safety and Domestic Security Policy Committee. Presently, this committee's chairman, Representative Kevin Ambler, has expressed concern in the bill’s language that includes the psychological stability and risk factors associated with a parent who is considered paranoid, delusional or sociopathic despite these factors being well recognized risks associated with potential parental child abductors. Supporting these risks as factors that must be considered are a host of government agencies and children advocacies groups. If the bill passes the House’s Public Safety and Domestic Security Policy Committee, it will then move on to the Policy Council and then to the Criminal and Civil Justice Policy Council.

Florida Senate’s SB1862 and Florida’s House of Representatives adjoining bill (HB787), if passed, will amend Florida Statute §61.45 by adding certain risk factors of child abduction and provides a list of preventative measures a judge may use to prevent these abductions from occurring. Inclusion of these provisions will strengthen Florida’s week law and bring it into conformity with the Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act (UPACA), which has been enacted by ten states.

In 2002, the Synclair-Cannon Child Abduction Prevention Act was passed into law in California after Larry Synclair and Josef Cannon each had their children stolen and taken overseas by their mothers. Texas was the next state to pass legislation known as the Texas Prevention Act. Seven additional States have signed into law similar laws preventing and protecting children.
Through the dynamic efforts of Ms. Carolyn Ann Vlk, a mother desperately trying to protect her own child from the cruel fate of being internationally parentally abducted, Florida today has a real opportunity to protect its own children by passing their Child Abduction Prevention Act.

At stake is the welfare of tens of thousands of children in the state.

The proposed bill was filed this session (2010) as SB 1862 by Senator Eleanor Sobel, and, by Representative Darryl Rouson in the House of Representatives under HB787.

Representative Rouson stated “I am horrified that child abductions by family members are occurring at such a high rate. This legislation gives judges more discretion and the ability to fight family child abductions so our children remain safe. We can prevent these abductions.”

The children’s advocates, all with deep experience in child abduction matters, believe it is critically important for the citizens of Florida to contact their local representatives and urge them to pass the Child Abduction Prevention Act.

In a statement made before the Senate committee, Ms. Vlk stated, "I appear before you as not only a parent of an at risk child but as the voice of the thousands of families affected each year by the heart wrenching tragedy of child abduction. I implore you to please carefully consider what we are attempting to implement. In my humble opinion the biggest obstacle we face is a lack of education across the board . . . parents, judges, family court personnel, and policy makers. This deficiency has served to empower potential abductors and compromises the safety of children. Without risk assessment in determining where a credible risk exists, decisions are made that could place a child in unnecessary danger. Parental child abduction is a national tragedy and an immediate remedy is necessary. Please join us in our efforts to protect our most vulnerable members of society - our children."

Peter Thomas Senese, the author of Chasing The Cyclone, and, producer of the documentary film titled Chasing Parents: Racing Into the Storms of International Parental Child Abduction added, “It is critically important for the State of Florida to pass this imperative legislation in the name of not only the children of Florida, but by doing so, the actions of the state’s policymakers will provide much greater guidance for other states. This opportunity to demonstrate leadership in the area of education and prevention is now in Florida’s hands. Additionally, it is imperative that education associated with domestic and international parental child abduction continues to increase. Today, one of my great concerns is the lack of cooperation from countries around the world who are willing to issue passports to their adult citizens living abroad on behalf of that individual’s child despite court orders from a court who maintains jurisdiction of the child not to do so in cases of abduction risk. For example, if one parent of a child living in the United States has citizenship to another country, that parent can obtain a passport from their country of origin for their child, usually without consent by the other parent. When this happens, the risk of international parental child abduction increases exponentially. This is why it is critical for parents concerned about international parental child abduction to register the name of the concerned non-U.S. citizen other parent with the Prevent Departure Program. However, many parents at risk of having their child abducted are not even aware that this program exists. So in the end it all comes down to prevention and education. Florida's lawmakers have an opportunity to make a big difference in the name of children. Having personally chased into the cyclones of abduction, I urge Florida’s lawmakers to pass this bill.”

Floridian resident Larry Synclair, the author of our nation’s first state preventive laws (California) adds, “HB 787 illustrates the need to prevent parental abduction and other states should take similar action. When I sat down to research and write the draft of a bill that would later become the Synclair-Cannon Act, I felt compelled to close gaps in a state’s legal system that allowed children to fall into the hands of abducting parents. California saw the need for the bill and quickly incorporated it into their family code. Today, parents from other states have boldly stepped up to demand laws that will protect their children from this horrific crime that is often ignored by judicial officials. Florida’s HB 787 calls for an implementation of measures that could hinder future acts of abduction. Children need more legislation like this to protect them from this escalating crime."

Charles Hamilton, left-behind parent of Dakota Carmen Hamilton, stated that “If the Synclair-Cannon Parental Child Abduction Prevention Act or a California version of Florida’s HB-787 had existed when my daughter was stolen, the courts would have been armed with the evidence to prevent my daughter’s kidnapping to Spain on December 8, 1996. Failure to sign HB 787 into law will only allow more children in Florida to become victims of this horrible and preventable crime just like my daughter.”

Bryan Lee McGlothin, author of Have You Seen My Mother: True Story of Parental Abduction stated it best, by reminding the citizens of Florida that "Children have rights and those rights include having both parents in the child's life.”

Collectively, Florida’s lawmakers and advocates pass urge the citizens of Florida to contact their local representatives and urge them to support the Child Abduction Prevention Act now before its legislative body.

For more information on parental child abduction please visit

www.chasingthecyclone.com