In criminal law

Criminal law

Criminal law, is the body of law that relates to crime. It might be defined as the body of rules that defines conduct that is not allowed because it is held to threaten, harm or endanger the safety and welfare of people, and that sets out the punishment to be imposed on people who do not obey...

, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment

False imprisonment

False imprisonment is a restraint of a person in a bounded area without justification or consent. False imprisonment is a common-law felony and a tort. It applies to private as well as governmental detention...

, a confinement without legal authority. This may be done for ransom

Ransom

Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.In an early German law, a similar concept was called bad influence...

 or in furtherance of another crime, or in connection with a child custody

Child custody

Child custody and guardianship are legal terms which are used to describe the legal and practical relationship between a parent and his or her child, such as the right of the parent to make decisions for the child, and the parent's duty to care for the child.Following ratification of the United...

 dispute.
In some countries such as the United States a large number of child abduction

Child abduction

Child abduction or Child theft is the unauthorized removal of a minor from the custody of the child's natural or legally appointed guardians....

s arise after separation or divorce when one parent wishes to keep a child against the will of the other or against a court order.