Mum's horror as man 'abducts screaming son from outside home and then calls her'
Lawyers acting on behalf of Kathryn Dench, 41, say that her six-year-old son, who can only be named by his initials SEB for legal reasons, was snatched on April 21.
He was reportedly taken by a white man, believed to be his 45-year-old father, and an Indonesian man who helped him, reporters were told during a conference on Saturday, July 19.
The child was seen screaming as he was put into a car and driven away, Kathryn said during the conference.
READ MORE: Dad loses leg and dies after being 'needlessly sent back and forth between two hospitals'
Her ex then contacted her the following day to let her know he had their child, whom Kathryn has full custody of, it is further alleged at the Indonesian-based briefing.
And in the weeks since, lawyers say the devastated mother has only had six calls with her son and does not know where he is.
During the conference, she pleaded to her son: "He is being so incredibly brave, and I want him to know that we are fighting every day so that he will be able to come home."
Speaking of the ordeal, she said: "The whole experience has been devastating – there is no other way to describe it.
"The initial shock of my son being taken, and not even knowing who took him until the next day, was terrifying.
"After that, although I was initially allowed a few video calls with him, our communication was heavily monitored and controlled, so we were not able to speak freely.
"Seeing my child tense and withdrawn, and not being able to comfort him or hear how he is feeling, was heartbreaking.
"Now, we are no longer permitted any kind of contact, and are completely in the hands of the legal system with no idea when this will be resolved."
Kathryn and her son's father, who is from Solihull in Birmingham, split up when their son was around one year old.
Police in Indonesia are now working to try and find Kathryn's son. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Denpasar City Police, quoting LP/B/299/IV/2025/SPKT/Polresta Denpasar/Polda.
"I fully respect the legal system here in Indonesia, which has full jurisdiction over this case," she said.
"The hardest part is not being able to comfort my son or even tell him how hard we are fighting for him right now. I hope that there are no more delays before the authorities take the appropriate action."
Kathryn, who was born in London and grew up in Ipswich, reported the situation to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in London and the British Embassy in Indonesia within 24 hours.
She said: "Their role is limited in cases like this because they cannot intervene in another country's legal process.
"In Indonesia, the law is clear that anyone who removes a child from the care of their legal custodian, without permission, is breaking the law.
"But in reality, cases of parental abduction like this are often not treated seriously or enforced quickly enough.
"A group of five mothers worked hard to get this clarified by the Constitutional Court – but even with that progress, many of us are still told that our best chance of seeing our children again is to drop the charges and agree to whatever the abductor wants.
"A lack of enforcement of the law in these cases continues to put other children at risk, as potential perpetrators feel they will be immune from any legal consequences."
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: "We are providing consular assistance to a British national in Bali and are in contact with the local authorities."
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