Legal Definitions - child-stealing

The term child-stealing is a common, non-legal phrase often used to describe the serious crime legally known as child kidnapping or child abduction. It refers to the unlawful act of taking, enticing away, or detaining a minor child from their parent, guardian, or any other person having lawful custody, without that person's consent, and with the intent to keep or conceal the child.

This crime can occur in various contexts, ranging from situations involving family members to abductions by strangers.

• Example 1: Parental Abduction

  After a difficult divorce, a court granted sole custody of their son, Leo, to Sarah, with Leo's father, David, having supervised visitation rights. During an unsupervised visit that David arranged without court approval, he took Leo and fled to a different country, cutting off all communication with Sarah. David's actions constitute child-stealing because he unlawfully took Leo, a minor, from his legal custodian (Sarah) without her consent and with the intent to conceal him, in direct violation of the court's custody order.

• Example 2: Stranger Abduction

  While a young girl, Maya, was walking home from school, an unknown individual stopped their car, offered her a ride and candy, and then drove her to a remote location, preventing her from returning home. This scenario is a clear instance of child-stealing. The individual unlawfully enticed and took Maya, a minor, from her normal route and legal guardians without their knowledge or permission, with the intent to detain her.

• Example 3: Relative Abduction (Non-Parental)

  A child's aunt, believing her sister (the child's mother) was an unfit parent, picked up her niece, Chloe, from daycare without the mother's knowledge or consent. The aunt then took Chloe to a distant relative's house in another state, instructing everyone not to tell Chloe's mother where they were. This is an example of child-stealing because the aunt, despite being a relative, unlawfully took Chloe, a minor, from her legal custodian (the daycare, acting on behalf of the mother) without consent and with the intent to conceal her from her legal parent.