In 1994, a boy was abducted from his parents in Wolcottville, Indiana, about 50 miles southeast of South Bend. According to reports, that boy is now a man living in a small Minnesota town northwest of St. Paul. The boy was apparently taken by his grandparents during a custody dispute in the mid-nineties. Now an adult, the man’s custody is no longer an issue but the story has shone a light on grandparent rights.
According to the reports, the boy’s parents were unemployed and living in a car. While authorities have condemned the grandparents’ actions, at least one official that investigated the 1994 disappearance understood their motives and recognized that the boy was not in any danger.
Still, the mother was deprived of a relationship were her child for over a decade. Even if the boy was put in a better situation, the abduction is not ideal. At the same time, grandparents across Minnesota can sympathize. Many grandparents are shut off from their grandkids or forced to watch them grow up in an abusive or unstable home.
Fortunately, Minnesota’s grandparents are not powerless. They are entitled to a relationship with their grandchildren and may even have the power to obtain custody rights when parents are unfit.
Local St. Paul attorneys regularly help grandparents protect their rights and, more importantly, their grandkids. These local professionals can often make sure grandparents remain a positive influence in the lives of their grandkids. In addition, an attorney can review the best interests of the child and see if pursuing custody is the right course.
Even when things seem hopeless, local attorneys assure Metro residents that resorting to kidnapping is never the only option. To avoid such desperate action, grandparents are encouraged to contact a local attorney before things get out of control.
Source: Fox News, “Indiana Boy abducted in 1994 found in Minnesota under a different name,” Jan. 11, 2013