American girl still in custody for identity theft; father furious at airport border checks
American teenager Maggie Lee is still in custody for identity theft, but will likely be released during the course of Tuesday. The 16-year-old girl used her sister's passport to travel from the United States to the Netherlands. Her father, Daniel Lee, is furious that airport border controls and airlines allowed her to travel with someone else's passport, he said to the Telegraaf from Clarksville in Tennessee.
Maggie Lee left her home in Tennessee on April 1st and traveled to the Netherlands with her sister's passport, because her passport was taken away, according to newspaper AD. Her mother reported her missing and traveled to the Netherlands on April 27th to search for her daughter. The Dutch police spread Maggie's photo around and called on the public to keep an eye out for her.
The teenage girl was found safe at a train station in Zwolle on Saturday. She'd been staying with several friends she met online. She is now refusing to return to the United States. Why is unclear. Because she was using her sister's passport, she was arrested for identity theft.
The Dutch authorities - police, Public Prosecutor and the Child Protection Council - are now trying to figure out what to do with the girl, according to AD. "For us this is also a fairly unique case", a spokesperson for the prosecutor said to the newspaper. The Public Prosecutor is looking for solutions to two questions - whether Maggie will be prosecuted for identity theft in the Netherlands or United States, and whether the girl will be deported or leave with her mother voluntarily.
Maggie hired a lawyer, who refused to comment on the matter other than saying that the Child Protection Council was in contact with everyone involved to try and find the best solution for the girl.
Her father Daniel Lee told the Telegraaf that he considers it a serious security leak that his teenage daughter managed to travel across several borders with her sister's passport without encountering any problems. He is considering pressing charges.
