Legal Definitions - parental kidnapping

Parental kidnapping is when one parent takes their child without permission from the other parent who has custody or visitation rights. This is against the law and can have serious consequences.

• A mother takes her child to another state without telling the father who has visitation rights.
• A father refuses to return his child to the mother after a weekend visit.

These examples illustrate how one parent is taking the child without the other parent's permission, which is considered kidnapping.