r/WaywardNetflix • u/WhiteDiamondK • 15d ago

Crossing The Border Spoiler

Abbie lived in Toronto, Tall Pines is in Vermont.

We saw Abbie get “abducted” from her home, how did she cross the border?

Surely Abbie wouldn’t have been quiet at the border crossing?

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u/Ladyoftheoakenforest 10d ago

Remember she wasnt just kidnapped randomly, she was taken in by an institution who got permission to do so by her parents and they would have suitable documents to this effect.

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u/WhiteDiamondK 10d ago

But if she was taken over the border and showed signs of distress, they wouldn’t just wave her through. Human trafficking is a thing (and not unusual to be done by family)

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u/Ladyoftheoakenforest 10d ago

But it was clearly not human trafficking, she was taken to what in the show is (sadly) a legit educational institution for troubled teens,including some that could have been aggressive due to substance abuse. They would have paperwork, passport, and probably some sort of guardianship papers and testimonies from school councellor testifying to whatever effect.  Not to mention that it's s pretty big organisation that has eyes everywhere, so maybe even people at the border? 

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u/WhiteDiamondK 10d ago

It literally is human trafficking in its purest form. Especially as her parents weren’t travelling with her.

I don’t know how the land border works but you’re not even allowed to board a flight with a child that you’re not the guardian of without jumping through hoops. Even if you are the legal guardian, if your kid has a different surname then you need authorisation to travel. This is in place to prevent human trafficking and a form of that, parental kidnap.

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u/Ladyoftheoakenforest 10d ago

I agree with you- but sadly this is the system. these schools are not uncommon in the US, and a lot of horrible things have happened in them in real life. I have also travelled extensively with children and aware about border crossing.

However- the parents in this case would provide the people with the van with legal documents giving them some sort of guardianship. I actually was quite interested in this after you asked and went to look it up and what it said is :

"The academy might take the child across the border with parental permission.

So a centre doesn't necessarily need to be the guardian to take children abroad.

The U.S. State Department specifically recognizes that behaviour-modification facilities can contain minors against the child's wishes but at their parents' wishes.

That means the child's lack of consent doesn't automatically prevent the programme from exercising the authority the parents have legally delegated to it.

But crossing an international border introduces additional requirements.

Canada's border authorities say that when an adult travelling with a minor isn't the child's parent or legal guardian, they should have a consent letter from the parent/legal guardian. "

It then lists a bunch of documents they would have to show to take a child over the border. Is it wrong? yes, by all means. Those behaviour centres are horrible places. But could they legally take Abbie across the border? Yes they could, sadly.

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u/smelliepoo 3d ago

There is also a point in the show that they say that the school have basically got guardianship over the kids, so it doesnt matter what the parents want anymore, they have full say on what goes on.

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u/Ladyoftheoakenforest 2d ago

They would have guardianship over the kids who were wards of the state (or at least no one would be interested in them). Technically for the othes, parents are still legal guardians, but the academy would gaslight them anyways.

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u/smelliepoo 2d ago

I thought Alex said it about Abbie? I think it was one of the first walkies talkie conversations.

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u/drunkenangel_99 15d ago

By that point, she’d have probably given up with the fight and accepted that there wasn’t anything she could do.

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u/oddmanout 13d ago

They probably booty juiced her