Scenario

The US State Department reports that at least 354 American children have been abducted to Japan since 1994. That is the reported number. The actual number of children is certainly higher. The Japanese government has never returned an abducted child to any country in the world since 1952.

In addition, an untold number of abductions occur within Japan. See the magnitude of the problem page. These abductions often occur during marital conflict, separation, and divorce. There are no joint custody nor visitation rights after divorce or during separation. One parent is given sole custody after divorce. This is usually the mother. Even when foreign spouses present evidence of child abuse, the Japanese parent is not declared incompetent.

Separating a child from accessing a parent is a human rights violation. Parental kidnapping is a severe form of child abuse and a crime. It causes severe psychological damage to child and parent. It goes against the grain of human nature. Spurious claims by the Japanese to justify this practice are offered, but those do not hold up under scrutiny. This human rights tragedy of child abduction condoned and supported by the Japanese government must be stopped.

The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction is a treaty to bring about a resolution of international child abduction. After 30 years, Japan still has not signed this treaty. Furthermore, all existing cases should be investigated and resolved.