BELIZE: CHILD ABDUCTION CASE RESOLVED

UNCLAS BELMOPAN 000604 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CEN - ROIS BEAL DEPT FOR CA/OCS/ACS/WHA - MAUREEN MUELLER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CASC PREL BH SUBJECT: BELIZE: CHILD ABDUCTION CASE RESOLVED ¶1. Summary. A six-year-old Belizean girl was taken by her father to the United States in February 2007 without permission. The Embassy initially received negative press when the incident took place. On October 7 the girl was returned to Belize and the Embassy received thanks in the press and from the girl's mother. End Summary. ¶2. On February 9, 2007, Belizean citizen Gesenia Cook, arrived at the Embassy to report that her American citizen child, Zoe Katheryn Cook (age 6),had been taken to the United States by her father without consent. Mrs. Cook presented a Belize Family Court document which granted her interim custody of the child. The father, Richard Cook, and child were in possession of valid U.S. passports and were thought to be in the United States with Mr. Cook's family. Belizean media ran several negative stories concerning the case. ¶3. After the meeting, consular staff contacted Overseas Citizen Services and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Unfortunately, Mrs. Cook did not know the location of the child. Conoff submitted paperwork and photographs of the child to NCMEC and they assisted Mrs. Cook with the process of locating the child and filing a case under the Hague Convention. (Note: Belize has been a Hague Convention partner since 1989. End note.) ¶4. On September 20 the child was located with her father in Arizona. Mrs. Cook flew to the United States for the trial at which the court in Arizona granted temporary custody to the mother and ordered the child returned to Belize. Mother and child arrived in Belize on October 7. Full custody will be determined by a family court in Belize. ¶5. On October 11 Belize news reported on the success of the case and acknowledged the assistance of the Embassy, the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Mrs. Cook contacted the Embassy and expressed her gratitude for the support from the Consular Section. DIETER