LETTER: Urgent Need for Antigua and Barbuda to Sign the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction

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Dear Prime Minister Browne,

I write to you as a deeply concerned advocate for justice and the rule of law, on behalf of a father, Lindon Bristol, whose child has been unlawfully abducted from Antigua and taken to another country.

This distressing case has gained significant attention across Antiguan news room and social media over the past month, highlighting the profound challenges faced by parents seeking justice in cases of international child abduction.

Antigua and Barbuda’s absence as a signatory to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction is an urgent and pressing issue that must be addressed.

The Convention provides a critical legal framework for the prompt return of abducted children to their country of habitual residence, ensuring that custody matters are properly adjudicated in the appropriate jurisdiction.

Without Antigua’s participation in this treaty, parents and children are left in legal limbo, facing complicated, expensive, and often ineffective legal processes dictated solely by the country to which the child has been taken.

In the present case, the mother of the child has violated multiple Antiguan court orders and fled the country in direct contravention of those rulings.

Shockingly, despite clear evidence of contempt for the Antiguan judicial system, authorities have failed to take decisive action, including issuing a warrant for her return.

This failure not only emboldens those who wish to evade justice but also undermines the credibility of Antigua and Barbuda as a nation that upholds the rule of law.

It sends a message that Antigua is powerless in protecting its own citizens and that court orders can be ignored without consequence.

This situation is not just a personal tragedy for the father involved—it is a national disgrace that reflects poorly on Antigua and Barbuda’s commitment to justice and human rights.

The government’s inaction has made Antigua appear lawless and unserious on the world stage, diminishing its reputation and eroding public trust in its institutions.

It is in Antigua and Barbuda’s best interest to protect its children and uphold the integrity of its legal system by signing the Hague Convention and establishing clear, standardized procedures for the return of abducted children.

this would ensure that future cases are handled efficiently, fairly, and in accordance with internationally recognized legal principles.

Furthermore, it would reaffirm Antigua and Barbuda’s commitment to justice, accountability, and the protection of its citizens—both at home and abroad.

Prime Minister, I urge you to take immediate action to rectify this glaring gap in our legal framework.

The well-being of innocent children and the fundamental principles of justice depend on it.

I implore you to address this matter with the urgency it deserves and demonstrate that Antigua and Barbuda stands firmly for the protection of its citizens and the enforcement of its laws.

I look forward to your prompt response and to seeing meaningful progress on this critical issue.

Respectfully,

M.D. 

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7 COMMENTS

  1. This woman is tormenting the father at this point. I’m convinced that she must have something to hide. Anyone else would speak up for themselves and explain why they took the child. The fact that we have not heard from mom means she’s hiding something!

  2. Reading this letter, it’s evident that Antigua and Barbuda cannot afford to delay signing the Hague Convention any longer. The well-being of children and the integrity of the legal system are at stake. Prime Minister Browne must urgently prioritize the protection of citizens and uphold the rule of law by taking decisive action to join this vital treaty. The world is watching, and the time for change is now.

  3. I keep hearing one side of this story! What is the other side? Can judgements be iobjectively made without weighing both sides of this argument? Without that this is abtug of war and the stronger out pulls! Why did the mother run? Was she or the child subject to financial, emotional or physical abuse or all? Is this a power play? Questions that need to be answered. At the end of the day, when adults get their gratification of power, a child is left emotional scarred due to the fact that he is the pawn in a very sinister game! Let the mother side be heard, and then, make decisions based not on perception , but on detection.

  4. You live in a country which is lawless and only recognizes it when it personally affects you.
    Until it affects the power players directly it’s dog eat dog.
    Call your religious minister, they are part of the big problems in this Country

  5. WHAT THE HELL …WHOSE CHILD HAS BEEN ABDUCTED …? …EMOTIONAL STUPIDITY

    The first paragraph in the Letter seems:

    (a) ‘…Reek of ‘…EMOTIONALSTUPIDY’ with the unfounded claim: ‘…Whose Child Has Been Abducted:

    ***
    QUESTIONS:

    (i) …WAS THE FATHER IMPREGNATED AND GAVE BIRTH TO THE CHILD?

    (ii) …HAS THE FATHER BORNE THE DISCOMFORT OF PREGNANCY?

    (iii) …HAS THE FATHER ENDURED THE PAINS ASSOCIATED WITH CHILD’S BIRTH?

    ***

    WELL:

    Eife de ansah eise yas, den go fe de darn chile: Uue ah de mammy’ (Vernacular).

    ***
    THE END.

    ***_
    DOES THE FATHER HAS A CLAIM OF RIGHT TO MOTHERHOOD?

  6. Antiguans are ignorant people! The brother of the mother is a police!! If the woman or child were abused it would have been reported. We haven’t heard the mother’s side because she has no defense to her illegal action. The mother does not have a greater claim to the child simply because she carries him. She has no right to deprive a father of his child. The court has heard the full story and sided with the father. But you ignorant citizens are still crying about the mother’s side of the story!! She has made herself unavailable and is refusing to say anything because she knows she’s wrong!!!

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