Human Rights Violations

September 18th, 2009 - Los Angeles


CHASING THE CYCLONE author Peter Thomas Speaks Out About Human Rights Violations Against Abducted Child Kidnapped To Italy


Peter Thomas, author of the upcoming critically acclaimed novel Chasing The Cyclone is a successful 'Chasing Parent' and advocate of children's rights in the wake of the criminal acts that are unleashed when an innocent child is criminally abducted across international borders. The author speaks out about the treacherous circumstances and potential violations of defenseless young Liam McCarty's Human Rights. Liam was illegally removed from the United States to Italy, where he remains despite the great efforts of his loving father, Michael McCarty. Michael continues to attempt to protect and rescue his son from the grave and ongoing peril he faces due to failures by judicial systems and government agencies empowered and entrusted with the responsibility to protect his welfare.

"When a parent illegally removes a defenseless child from the arena of legal jurisdiction, the abducting parent actually commits a series of premeditated cruel acts directed toward the child and the other parent. The abduction typically occurs due to the abducting parent's desire to cause harm, pain, and suffering to the other parent, however, it is always the innocent child who suffers severely due to the abusive criminal acts of the abducting parent. In fact, it is no secret that the vast majority of abducting parents suffer from severe psychological unbalances that further create an unsafe and dangerous environment for both themselves and the kidnapped child. International Parental Abduction is a growing epidemic that destroys the lives of both the child and the Chasing Parent. The abusive act of parental abduction specifically attempts to steal the child's identity and deny their right to love their other parent. The reality is that nearly every abducted child's Human Rights are completely and unequivocally violated.

"Today, in a world of global-citizenship, tens upon tens of thousands of children are internationally abducted each year - typically by an abusive parent in their own accord who uses the child as a pawn to leverage their own agenda. Intolerably, many of these children have their Human Rights violated due to the inadequacies of the legal system and the administrators responsible for protecting these children.

"Who is there to protect the child and their inalienable rights? It is the courts and government agencies empowered to act on behalf of the child. Tragically, there is too great a failure within judicial systems everywhere due to a lack of research, knowledge, and education by judges who preside over child custody cases that have the potential to turn into international parental abductions. Additionally, due to the failures of various government agencies to intervene on behalf of a child's welfare, they share responsibility with the courts for the perilous circumstances a child is thrown into when a criminal abduction occurs. Society should not stick its head in the sand - there have been murders and deaths associated with international parental child abduction. The failure of courts and government agencies to properly protect the welfare of a child who may be or who has been abducted borders on these very same parties participating in a breach of the child's Human Rights.

"One of the best examples of a clear violation of a child's Human Rights is the dire circumstances of young Liam McCarty. Liam has been held in an orphanage at the direction of the Italian Courts in Rome after the child was wrongfully and illegally removed from the United States by his mother, who, incidentally, was determined by the Italian courts to be a danger to her own child. In young Liam McCarty's case, the Italian courts wrongfully ruled that since the child had duel-United States and Italian citizenship, there was no international abduction. Their ruling was issued despite the fact that courts of jurisdiction in the United States specifically ruled that the child was wrongfully removed from his father in the State of New York and illegally detained in Italy. The Italian court's ruling demonstrates the difficulty too many Chasing Parents already know: just because The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects on Parental International Child Abduction exists, it does not mean the laws or spirit of the international convention will be upheld. For many Chasing Parents, fighting the laws and customs of another country while in another land, with the reality that there is prejudice and empathy in the foreign country they must litigate in, amounts to a nearly impossible feat: the act of recovering the stolen child, and bringing the child home safely.

"As most Chasing Parents know, things typically go from bad to terrible for their abducted child. And this surely is the case for Michael McCarty's son, Liam.

"The Defense Mantra of the Hague Convention - Article 13, Subsection (b) stipulates that the child should not be returned to the country of original jurisdiction if there is clear indication that such return would be harmful and not in the best interest of the child. So when Liam McCarty was kidnapped from his father, it was legally critical for Liam's abducting mother to make a series of false, misappropriate allegations about Michael McCarty and his alleged conduct toward his son. These terrible allegations were carefully reviewed by courts and law enforcement agencies in both the United States and in Italy - as all allegations of this nature should be. The resounding findings unilaterally made by all investigative agencies and courts in both countries were that the allegations made against Michael were completely false. Michael McCarty, similar to the many victim-parents who came before him and those that have come after him, knows all too well what it is like to be targeted by an untruthful defamation campaign initiated by the abducting parent and that person's supporters. Sadly, as nearly every Chasing Parent will state, the courts typically are not willing to punish the party who acts in contempt of court or commits perjury. When parental litigants are held accountable for any untruthful statements or acts presented to the courts, we will see a much more effective legal system evolve.

"In the Liam and Michael McCarty case, not only was the child illegally removed from his father, but he was then protectively removed by the Italian courts from his unfit mother and placed into an orphanage. There, under the supervision of Italy's Department of Social Services and the Italian Courts, Liam was treated for a series of abusive acts that were unilaterally determined by all courts and agencies to have never occurred. So Liam continued to be "treated" for abuse despite the fact that there never was any abuse - ever - in any shape or form – directed toward him by his loving dad. Unfortunately, in many cases of wrongful mistreatment, there is an 'Iatrogenic Response', where the patient being treated essentially takes on behavior associated with the condition they are being mistreated for. In the case of Liam McCarty - I ask out loud: 'Why are this child's Human Rights being violated as clearly established by the ongoing mistreatment of a child that clearly causes harm and suffering under Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child?'

"Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child states specifically 'Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and education measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child.'

"Personally, I think Italy's Department of Social Services and the Italian Courts have a lot of explaining to do. Under their legal guardianship of Liam McCarty, they provided for maltreatment of this young child - who, without any sound reasoning or determination, has been denied his rights to the love of his father - a father who is as much a good man as he is a loving father doing everything possible to protect and reunite with his son. I am equally perplexed as to how the Italian Courts could remove Liam's father Michael essentially from his life, when knowing full well that this child is a victim of parental alienation and other forms of abuse directed toward him by his abducting parent. The only capable and loving parent that Liam McCarty has - and it is Liam's inalienable rights to know this love - is his father. Yet, Liam now bounces from the orphanage to the care of extended family members of his abducting mother, all of whom participated in the psychological warfare waged at him in order to sever the bond he has with his father. This is intolerable. Liam needs his father, and he needs him now - alone, without supervision, without a circus of reporters ... just the two of them together, taking the time to heal. Anything else will simply allow for Liam's terrible odyssey to continue. And it must not!
"The terrible ordeal of the McCartys demonstrates that the lack of research, education, and understanding of the tragic circumstances of abducted children everywhere leads to the question of whether a child's Human Rights are violated when the legal agencies created to protect their welfare either through negligence or through failure to act properly, actually jeopardize the child.

"I want to add one personal commentary: to all Chasing Parents everywhere around the world who must deal with the lack of sophisticated understanding and training needed within judicial systems and their government's respective agencies - never give up fighting for your child's rights no matter how hard or how difficult the journey you must travel on. In the end - know that your child or children do love you no matter how strong the waves of parental alienation they have had to deal with have been. Fight the fight."

For More information on the tragic ordeal of Liam and Michael McCarty or to show your support, please visit www.saveliam.org.

Peter Thomas is a Chasing Parent who successfully reunited with his abducted son. He is an advocate of The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Parental Child Abduction; however, Peter Thomas has called for more extensive research and judicial training to immediately occur, along with provisions for nation signatories of the Hague Convention to be held accountable for failures to uphold the international treaty they freely signed.

'Chasing The Cyclone' by Peter Thomas will be released worldwide in October, 2009. Critics have praised and raved about 'Chasing The Cyclone'.

. . . Inspired by a true story that will shake the audience further, this is an exciting cautionary thriller that grips readers from the onset . . . REVIEW BY: Harriet Klausner: Amazon #1 Reviewer.

. . . Peter Thomas now opens the windows on the magnitude of these tragedies in his excellent 'Chasing The Cyclone' . . . As if the fast paced energy of this story weren't enough to satisfy the reader, Peter Thomas demonstrates his quality as a writer of distinction on many levels . . .this impossible to put down book . . . REVIEW BY Dr. Grady Harp: Amazon #3 Reviewer.

. . . 'Chasing The Cyclone' isn't just a powerful novel; it's a call to arms against a growing epidemic that is tearing lives apart behind the headlines . . . 'Chasing The Cyclone' is much more than just a superb, can't-put-down novel, though; it is a book with a purpose . . . Thomas has become an outspoken advocate on this issue, and 'Chasing The Cyclone' makes for a clear and profoundly effective call to action. I would go so far as to encourage every loving parent to read this book, as the bond between this father and son is one to be emulated . . . REVIEW BY: Daniel Jolley: Amazon #14 Reviewer.

. . . I highly recommend 'Chasing The Cyclone' as a must-read. You will not be able to put it down. It may very well change the way you look at life, child custody, and interactions with your child's other parent. I cannot endorse this book strong enough . . . REVIEW BY: The Examiner (Review by Barbara Thompson).

. . . Peter Thomas masterfully reveals the disturbing world of an abducted child . . . Peter has taken the tragedy of his child's abduction and the remarkable efforts he implemented in order to reunite with his child, and worked to not only share it in a manner that seeks to educate the reader, but has embraced his experience to provide relief for other families caught in this global epidemic. This is a well-written, entertaining, fascinating legal thriller I am sure the author wishes the author never had the ability to write . . . REVIEW BY: Maureen Dabbagh (Founder: Parent International).

For more information on Liam and Michael McCarty, please visit www.saveliam.org.

For more information on 'Chasing The Cyclone' , international parental child abduction, and Peter Thomas please visit www.chasingthecyclone.com