Paul Halton (Parent of abducted child)

Paul is the only parent I interviewed who was able to reunite with two of his children, but his youngest son remains in Japan with his mother as they have not been able to communicate due to the language barrier.

Despite this bittersweet end to Paul's custody case, Paul has emphasised that there is a lack of mental health in this issue and the repercussions of parental alienation can be detrimental. He's worked with multiple therapists but most of them aren't aware of the issue let alone know about parental alienation. I think all parents on both sides and especially the children will benefit greatly from counselling sessions alone and as a group as parental alienation has left a huge scar on everyone involved.

After eight long years, Paul isn't battling to gain access to his children anymore, but he still is concerned that when his ex-wife moves to the UK she will move somewhere far from Newcastle (where Paul lives) and potentially take the children with her again. It is a never-ending cycle of worry but he loves and appreciates every second he gets to spend with his children it really is a bittersweet ending.

His story illustrates the ongoing emotional challenges that parents and children may face in the aftermath of parental child abduction.