Battered American mothers flee home for their safety to the USA with their children. Their abusers file petitions trying to force the return of their children to the foreign country even when the children are just American. There is no defense for battered American mothers. We need to hire good attorneys for these victims so the children won't be returned to the abuser in the foreign country and be subjected to more abuse and be separated from their primary caretaker, their mother.
The Hague Convention on International Child Abduction was drafted in the 1980's without any consideration that the abducting parent may be a victim of domestic violence and must flee home to the USA for their own safety. Hundreds of battered American mothers flee home with their American children, only to have the abuser file a Hague Petition to force the return of the children to the foreign country. Their is no stated defense for battered mothers.
By providing battered mothers with a good attorney, the chances of her keeping her American children in the USA are slim. Our network of international family law attorneys do a lot work pro-bono, or sliding scale, but there are still court fees to pay, travel expenses, and so on.
Battered American mothers will be able to keep their American children safe with them in the USA. The children will not be ripped away from their primary caretaker because of an international treaty written over 30 years ago that does not take domestic violence into account. This project will help defend 10 - 12 battered mothers in Hague petitions.
