Hon. John Major at the Justice and Human Rights Committee

I think it merits consideration because family kidnapping and kidnapping for ransom are two different things. In kidnapping for ransom, if the child is returned unharmed it could be a mitigating factor. In a family situation, it's unlikely that the parent would harm the child after kidnapping them. He or she is kidnapping, ostensibly, for love and affection or for revenge against the other spouse. In the case of—let's call it a commercial kidnapping—the return of the child unharmed is a very useful suggestion. It's an inducement to someone who may regret what he's done, and not wanting to cover his tracks by murdering the child, will return the child.