Give police emergency powers to return children withheld by a parent
We call on the Government to amend the law to grant police immediate emergency powers to recover a child when a parent withholds them in breach of an active Court Order or shared care agreement.
Signatures
12
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 12/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 12/100,000
- 30 JUL 2026Petition opened for signaturesCreated by Justyna Anna Kowalczyk
Background
Currently, when a parent breaks a family court order and refuses to return a child, the police often refuse to intervene, calling it a "civil matter". Parents are forced to wait months for new court hearings while their children are alienated and legal orders are ignored with impunity. The law has a dangerous gap. We need emergency police enforcement powers to protect children and uphold court decisions immediately, instead of allowing parents to break the law while waiting for future court.