Abstract:
Article 24 of the Law on the Protection of Minors (revised in 2020)
stipulates that it is not allowed to compete for custody rights by snatching or
hiding minor children. “Snatching and hiding children” refers to the behavior of
one spouse who uses non-violent means to transfer minor children and conceal
their traces during the divorce proceedings in order to fight for custody and
the joint property of the husband and wife. Although the law clearly prohibits
the behavior of “robbing and hiding children”, it is only a general provision.
The time point of the “competition for custody” is not clear. In current judicial
practice, only Article 111 of the Civil Procedure Law can be passed. Clause 6
punishes the behavior of “hiding children” after the custody judgment. Many
hiders prefer to be detained and fined rather than disclose the whereabouts of
their children. As in the past, the prohibition of “hiding children” will gradually
become an “empty shell”. In summary, by comparing relevant judicial judgments
and local regulations, the nature of the behavior of “hiding children” after the
custody judgment is clarified, and the current judicial dilemma is clarified.
Combined with the Civil Code, the Law on the Protection of Minors, and local
regulations, the analysis of “custody rights” The possibility of three punishment
methods, such as “Change of custody”, “compensation for mental damage”,
and “The possibility of using criminal law to regulate”, provides new ideas for
solving the case of “hidden children after custody judgment”.
《未成年人保护法》(2020 修订)第24 条规定不得以抢夺、藏匿未成年子女等方式争夺抚养权。“抢夺、藏匿孩子”是指离婚诉讼期间,为争夺抚养权、夫妻共同财产,夫妻一方通过非暴力手段转移未成年子女并隐匿其踪迹的行为。虽然法律明确禁止“抢夺、藏匿孩子”行为,但仅仅是概括性规定,其中“争夺抚养权”的时间节点并未明确,且目前司法实践中,仅能通过《民事诉讼法》第111 条第6 款对抚养权判决后“藏匿孩子”行为进行惩罚,而很多藏匿人宁愿被拘留和罚款也拒不透露孩子行踪,如此以往,禁止“藏匿孩子”条款将逐步沦为“空壳”。综上,通过对比相关司法判决和地方法规,明晰抚养权判决后“藏匿孩子”行为性质,明确目前司法困境,结合《民法典》《未成年人保护法》地方法规,分析“抚养权变更”“精神损害赔偿”“抚养权判决后‘藏匿孩子’入刑”等三种惩治方法的可能性,为解决“抚养权判决后藏匿孩子”案件提供新思路。