It is so sad when the parents don't get on. I do feel sorry for the Father because he should have a legal right to be able to have time with his son. Sometimes the Mothers think they are the only ones who should have custody of the poor little ones. I had a cousin living in England many years ago, he was at work and had no inkling something was about to happen. He came home from work one evening only to discover his wife had taken the two girls, 3 and 5 to Canada, she had met up with a man she was having an affair with. My poor cousin almost committed suicide he was so distraught. In those days he never had the money to take legal action. He did eventually get to see his daughters but only when they were teenagers. They never learnt the true story. 

i though children had to have BOTH parents signatures before they could leave the country,  some years ago,  my sister and her husband split up,   and he had temporary custody of the two children,    they were about 2/5 at the time,    he tried to take them back to ENGLAND,    but couldnt do so without my sisters consent,