FCFCOA says 60 Minutes report called ‘The Point of No Return’ is inaccurate

According to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA), Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes program broadcast a report titled “The Point of No Return” on 31 May 2026 that included factual inaccuracies or omissions about the featured cases. 

The report covered stories on international child abduction and the related issues that arose regarding the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. In connection with the reported cases, the FCFCOA clarified that: 

• The exceptions of a “grave risk of physical or psychological harm” or “intolerable situation” were not pursued on family violence grounds 
• Each child was deemed habitually resident in Belgium rather than Australia before their removal from that country 
• Regarding a mother and child in one case, they were not Australian citizens, and Australia was not their habitual place of residence 
• Upon the return of the children to their home countries, the mothers opted not to accompany them on the plane or return to Belgium to be with them, even though the court ordered the father to pay for flights and accommodation in one case, and set conditions to make the return easier in another case 
• Regarding cases involving domestic violence, the court has chosen not to issue orders to return a child in many prior decisions 
• The court has put into practice many recommendations included in the relevant report of the Law Council of Australia 
• The court has implemented a legal aid scheme to offer legal support to a parent who has removed the child 

In its news release, the FCFCOA noted that the program’s producer and reporter rejected the court’s offer to access the anonymised judgments for the featured cases to verify the facts and evidence and to comprehend the court’s reasons for its decisions. 

More on Hague Convention cases

The FCFCOA’s news release recognised the difficulty for everyone involved in international child abduction cases, especially for those impacted by family violence and for the children at the centre of a parental dispute spanning countries.