290 mile hike for abducted children
Posted, May 22, 2008 @ 00:00
Parents of abducted children walk from Brussels to Strasbourg to demand action from EU
Strasbourg- 22nd May 2008 -- A pilgrimage of parents whose children have been taken by their partners arrived yesterday at the European Parliament in Strasbourg to present a petition to Vice-President Edward McMillan-Scott MEP - a leading campaigner for children's rights across Europe.
The four-week walk covering nearly 290 miles (462 km) from the European Parliament in Brussels to its seat in Strasbourg was led by Sabine van der Elst. Ms van der Elst has had no personal contact with her daughter Maeliss, now 11, since the child was taken from Belgium to his German homeland by the father five years ago.
The petition, supported by more than 12,000 people, was described by the campaigners as a 'last chance' to get the authorities to respect their children's right to contact with both parents.
Mr McMillan-Scott said:
"Children have a right to see both of their parents and vice versa.
"These parents have walked great distances, some over 270 miles, to raise awareness of this serious problem, which Europe can no longer choose to ignore.
"Children are being abducted and the other parent is left completely helpless. Europe has the power to act and must do so."
The march began on April 25 2008 and was joined along its route by Belgian, Dutch, German, Swiss and French 'parents-left-behind'. The chairman of the European Parliament's petitions committee, Mr Marcin Libicki, was also present to meet with the petitioners.