Parental Abduction - Abduction: Victim to Survivor

Abby Potash

Abduction: Victim to Survivor is a place for honest stories, compassionate conversations, and hope. The podcast explores how parental abduction and custodial conflict shape the lives of children, families, and entire communities—and what it takes to move from surviving to healing. Drawing from her own experience of family abduction, host Abby welcomes child survivors, adult survivors, searching family members, advocates, experts, and professionals to the microphone. Each episode makes space for voices too often unheard, brings understanding to a deeply misunderstood crime, and reminds listeners that no one should have to navigate its aftermath alone. Our mission is to challenge the dangerous belief that a child must be safe simply because they are with a parent. We raise awareness, share trusted guidance, and offer connection and hope to searching parents, adults who were abducted as children, and families finding their way forward.

  1. 4d ago

    "My Fight to Reunite My Abducted Son with His Twin": Father's International Abduction to Japan Story

    “This week I sit down with Jerry, a father whose twin sons were separated for 568 days when their mother abducted the healthy two year old twin from the US to Japan and left the twin that was sick behind. His case is an honest look at international parental abduction from a searching father’s point of view. In this powerful conversation, he shares the emotional journey of fighting to reunite his boys and what it means to keep hope alive while navigating a difficult legal and personal battle. Listen to his story and the fight to bring his family back together.” Takeaways: Jerry's experience highlights the emotional turmoil faced by parents of abducted children. Legal systems vary greatly in handling family abduction cases, often leaving parents feeling helpless. Cultural attitudes towards custody can complicate recovery efforts for abducted children. Feelings of guilt are common among parents of abducted children, but they should not blame themselves. The importance of therapy for children affected by abduction cannot be overstated. Understanding the legal framework in different countries is crucial for parents facing abduction. The concept of 'possession' in custody cases can dehumanize children. It's important to acknowledge the guilt parents feel during abductions. The emotional journey of reunification is complex and multifaceted. Hope is essential; always hold onto hope of finding missing children. Searching parents should not blame themselves for the abduction of their children. Community awareness and vigilance can help recover missing children. The emotional impact of abduction can last for years, but healing is possible. Contact Info: Abduction.victimtosurvivor@gmail.com Facebook:  Parental Abduction – Abduction: victim to survivor #TwinBoysAbduction#FatherFightingForHisSons#ParentalAbductionStory#ReunitingMyTwinSons#FamilySeparationStory

    "My Fight to Reunite My Abducted Son with His Twin": Father's International Abduction to Japan Story
  2. Oct 20

    The Danger of Family Abduction with expert Jenni Thompson

    Abby hosts Jenni Thompson for a serious conversation about family abduction, child abuse, and why these cases must be treated as urgent public safety emergencies. Jenni brings nearly three decades of advocacy, law enforcement training, and legislative work, including her role in helping bring Amber Alert systems to broader use. Together they discuss the scale of parental abuse and neglect, the trauma children experience during and after abduction, and why public misunderstanding around family abductions can put kids at greater risk. They also share hard-earned perspectives from real cases, legislation that still needs reform, and practical ways listeners can support missing children and their families. Key topics Abby opens with the podcast’s mission: sharing lived experience, dispelling the myth that family abduction is acceptable, and emphasizing that children are not possessions.Jenni Thompson is introduced as a longtime missing and exploited children advocate, former FBI Child Exploitation Squad intelligence analyst, and current juvenile public defender.In this episode, Abby and Jenni discuss how parental abduction often stems from revenge, vindictiveness, and custody conflict rather than protection.Jenni cites a U.S. Child Murder and Divorce tracking site showing 989 children murdered by a parent in divorce-related situations from 2008 to 2024.They discuss broader abuse statistics, including the estimate that 1 in 4 or 1 in 3 children experience harm from a parent in the home through abuse or neglect.Jenni explains how family abduction strips children of identity, stability, pets, toys, school, religion, and familiar routines, creating long-term trauma.Abby and Jenni talk about how abducting parents often manipulate children into believing the left-behind parent no longer loves them or is dead.They cover the Amber Alert system, including the fact that many alerts involve family abduction and that public frustration with alerts misses the seriousness of the danger.Jenni describes her early involvement in the Polly Klaas search and how that case shaped her career and her commitment to advocacy.Abby and Jenni reflect on how hard it is for both recovered children and searching parents to rebuild after reunification.Jenni shares two memorable cases: one involving a father who lost access to his children after false abuse allegations and another involving a father who sexually abused children and fled with his own children.The episode closes with a call to action for listeners to educate others, support alerts, and look for the Stewart children, who are currently missing.#AbductionVictimToSurvivor #FamilyAbduction #ParentalAbduction #MissingChildren #AmberAlert #ChildSafety #ChildAdvocacy #ChildAbductionAwareness #MissingKids #ProtectChildren Family Abduction and Child Safety Parental Child Abduction Risks What Happens to Children after Family Abduction Why Amber Alerts are Issued for Family Abduction How to Respond to an Amber Alert Missing Children Advocacy and Family Abduction Support for Parents of Abducted Children Child Abduction and Custody Disputes How Family Abduction Affects Children's Identity

    The Danger of Family Abduction with expert Jenni Thompson
  3. Sep 22

    Is The Person You Are Bringing Into Your Life Safe For Your Children?

    Sara was six. Sayeh was eight. “All we wanted was to be loved and cared for,” Sayeh reflects, revealing the emotional toll of her upbringing. As a young girl, Sayeh faced the horrifying reality of grooming by a man who assimilated into their lives under the guise of a caring adult, her mother’s boyfriend. They were sisters, best friends, and each other’s whole world. When Sara was killed at just six years old, eight-year-old Sayeh witnessed the unimaginable and barely escaped with her own life. “All we wanted was to be loved and cared for,” Sayeh reflects, revealing the emotional toll of her upbringing. Sayeh grew up carrying her sister’s memory—not as a burden, but as a promise. She became a state trooper, protected children through a Child Advocacy Center, and today serves at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Today, September 22, exactly 38 years to the day their lives changed forever, Sayeh’s episode of Abduction: Victim to Survivor will be published. I did not realize the significance of the date until I asked Sayeh if she was comfortable with the episode being released tomorrow. In this deeply moving podcast conversation, Sayeh shares how love, courage, and service became the way she honors Sara every day. Her story is heartbreaking, powerful, and profoundly human. Listen to the episode and meet a remarkable woman who transformed unimaginable loss into a lifelong mission to protect children. #grooming, #childabduction, #hope, #resilience, #courage, #familyabduction, #lawenforcement Thank you for caring about children and family abduction. Please contact me with questions/feedback at abduction:victimtosurvivor@gmail.com

    Is The Person You Are Bringing Into Your Life Safe For Your Children?

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Abduction: Victim to Survivor is a place for honest stories, compassionate conversations, and hope. The podcast explores how parental abduction and custodial conflict shape the lives of children, families, and entire communities—and what it takes to move from surviving to healing. Drawing from her own experience of family abduction, host Abby welcomes child survivors, adult survivors, searching family members, advocates, experts, and professionals to the microphone. Each episode makes space for voices too often unheard, brings understanding to a deeply misunderstood crime, and reminds listeners that no one should have to navigate its aftermath alone. Our mission is to challenge the dangerous belief that a child must be safe simply because they are with a parent. We raise awareness, share trusted guidance, and offer connection and hope to searching parents, adults who were abducted as children, and families finding their way forward.

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