A growing number of women who say their children were handed to abusive partners by family courts in England and Wales have abducted them and fled to Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus, the BBC has found. The broadcaster spoke to six mothers who described feeling forced to break the law to protect their children from alleged abuse.
One woman, using the pseudonym Rose, said she fled after a family court ordered her daughter to live with the father, despite her claims of domestic violence and rape during pregnancy. Rose said the court did not take her safety concerns seriously and viewed her child's reluctance to see the father as evidence of parental alienation, a disputed concept. The BBC corroborated Rose's story with family, friends, and police reports that graded her at risk of further harm.
Northern Cyprus, a self-declared republic recognised only by Turkey, is not signed up to the Hague Convention on child abduction, and there is no extradition agreement with the UK. This makes it a destination for mothers seeking to evade UK court orders. However, they face isolation, frozen bank accounts, and the constant threat of arrest if they leave.
Rose obtained a protection order from northern Cypriot courts, and a psychiatrist diagnosed her and her daughter with PTSD. Despite this, she described her situation as a 'type of prison'. 'I'd do it all again though, anything to protect my child,' she said. The BBC also spoke to nine other mothers who fled to countries including Tunisia and Thailand, citing domestic violence and system failures.
The UK government stated it takes international parental child abduction seriously and can use legal measures to return children. However, the lack of agreements with northern Cyprus complicates enforcement. The mothers interviewed said they had lost hope in the UK family court system and chose to flee rather than risk their children's safety.
