It’s been four days since 7-year-old Reigh Boss was allegedly snatched by her father in Boston – so, what could be going through the little girl’s mind right now?
Is she scared? Does she even know what’s going on?
“Initially, she may not be aware that she’s been kidnapped,” Dr. Jennifer Hartstein, a New York City-based Child and Adolescent psychologist, said in an e-mail to FOXNews.com. “She may just think she is going on a trip with her dad and is excited about it.”
Her father, Clark Rockefeller, is accused of kidnapping Reigh Sunday during a visit supervised by a social worker. Authorities say he then fled in a SUV driven by another person.
It is believed Rockefeller, who has used many aliases and has a sketchy past, may leave the country in a newly purchased yacht. But police cannot confirm that Rockefeller ever bought a boat — and think his talk of leaving the country may have been a ruse.
“As time continues Reigh will begin to question what is going on and, most likely, want to speak with her mother,” Hartstein said. “She will have difficulty accepting that she cannot call and may ask her dad why. It will be interesting to know how he will respond.”
Rockefeller had not seen his daughter since his divorce from his former wife, Sandra Boss, in December, the U.K.’s Times Online reported.
Boss moved to London with Reigh this year for work. The 41-year-old is a senior partner with McKinsey & Co., a leading consultant firm.
The Times also reported that Boss became concerned at Rockefeller’s secrecy surrounding his past and convinced a U.S. judge to issue an order limiting his access rights to Reigh when their marriage ended.
“In this situation, there were measures in place to protect this little girl that were broken,” Hartstein said. “He was only allowed supervised visits. That makes me wonder what happened that he wasn't allowed to see his daughter for a period of time, and why he had to see her under the watch of a social worker.”
Little has been made public about Rockefeller's past.
Fraser Seitel, a spokesman for the descendants of John D. Rockefeller Sr., said Clark Rockefeller is not a relative of that side of the wealthy family and there is also no indication that the fugitive is a descendant of William Rockefeller, John D. Rockefeller Sr.'s only sibling.
Currently, police are investigating a possible sighting of Rockefeller and Reigh at a car dealership in Smyrna, Del.
In the meantime, Hartstein said this little girl is going through a lot and the damage may be very far-reaching.
“Being taken from a parent is a very traumatic experience,” she said. “Not only does this little girl have to manage the reality of divorce, moving from her father, but now she is taken from her mother as well without understanding why. I would imagine that she is going to have some anxiety issues, some traumatic recollections, and possibly some depression as a result. Her levels of fear could really escalate.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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