Including children for a better and more child-friendly case-handling, procedure and enforcement of decision in cross-border family disputes (INCLUDE).

The 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention has a limited but essential goal: assure the prompt return of children who are unlawfully taken to or retained in another member state. The Brussels IIa revision, currently under revision, complements this instrument. The European Commission and the European Parliament pleaded for a stronger focus on mediation and a better protection of the best interests of the child. This seems to be of vital importance. Recent research revealed that children feel frustrated about the lack of clear communication and a limited understanding of the situation. Additionally, children had the feeling that their opinion was not taken into account, even when they did have the opportunity to be heard. An undesired outcome for the child leads to feelings of desperation and anxiety. With regard to enforcement, a significant negative effect of the arrest of the abducting parent is perceived on the wellbeing of the child. Children who did not get the chance to say goodbye to their family and friends, alsoshowed a lower wellbeing. On the other hand, children who receive psychological assistance upon return, show a significantly better wellbeing as compared to children who did not receive such assistance. This research project aims to discuss with youngsters the most appropriate way to deal with child abduction cases (both at the level of the procedure and at the level of the enforcement of the judgments). The University of Antwerp team will provide the literature study, while the other partners will hold workshops with children to discuss children's rights and the procedures. The University of Antwerp team will use the results to write a good practice guide for professionals. the aim is to ensure a child-friendly approach to the problem.

Keywords:VULNERABLE GROUPS, FAMILY MATTERS, ENFORCEMENT OF FOREIGN JUDGMENTS

Disciplines:Family law, Human rights law, International private law

Project type:Collaboration project