CAFCLIN was created to address a specific and pressing gap: the absence of a single, open-access resource showing how criminal proceedings arise and operate in child-abduction and family cases across different jurisdictions.

When a child is taken across borders, the legal consequences for the abducting parent can vary dramatically from one country to the next. Judges, lawyers and advisers making decisions in these cases need direct, reliable information about how destination-country courts handle criminal proceedings – yet that information has historically been difficult to locate. CAFCLIN brings it together in one place.

The database collates verified case law showing how criminal and family-law systems interact, with a particular focus on cases where Hague Convention return proceedings and criminal processes run in parallel. All content is free to access. It is targeted at judicial, practitioner and policy audiences, and is disseminated through professional networks and partner organisations.

CAFCLIN is the product of sustained university–policy collaboration, developed with the goal of producing globally recognised, accessible and practice-focused legal resources. We welcome case submissions, feedback on the database, and enquiries from anyone working in this field.