US Dad imprisoned in Japan

[kempff]

Read BOTH, very carefully.

Father Follows Abducted Children to Japan, Gets Arrested

edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/09/29/japan.father.abduction/]American jailed in Japan for trying to reclaim his children

But-BUT-BUUUUTTT isn't Japan so cool!??!?!
Not in all aspects kids.

The wife will keep the kids, and the dad, well sucks for him. He shouldn't have tried to do it all Rambo style.
Give your input.


(let me say, I think Japan is an interesting country and would like to go back, but just like the US, it has it's share of crap/shoddy laws/ignorance/xenophobia/etc)

[angelous]

I for one think the mom should have been arrested. Even if the laws are different in Japan then they are in the United States, Japan should have at least held her for breaking U.S. law then fleeing the country for immunity. And the dad shouldn't be in jail for what he did. He had legal custody, the mom was supposed to have brought the kids back, and was not to take them back to Japan except for summer vacations (which had already passed), and she did. The U.S. tried to get the kids back but failed, so the dad went himself to do it. While it may not have been the best idea, he figured it was the only thing he could do to get them back. They shouldn't be punishing the father for doing something stupid (which even though I agree with what the guy did, I at the same time think it was stupid to do so). I mean after all, he could've gone to Japanese police, and could have explained what happened, and have arranged for the kids to stay with other relatives in Japan (away from both the mother and father so as to prevent incidents like this), while this was worked out. But, what do I know about Japanese government right?

[kempff]

The J police would have turned him away. They are nice to you if you're a tourist, but if you're accusing Japanese of a crime that isn't a crime in Japan, well you're just a loudmouth Gaijin.

I'm not being harsh by the way, it's Japanese law (abduction, not the bad treatment). Problem is, Japan's legal courts don't have to respect the US's, and they also did not sign the Hague Convention in 1980. It's a lose-lose situation for the Kids and Father, who will most likely never see each other again.

EDIT: More details been released, looks like kids were born and lived in Japan for some time and Daddy brought them to Tennessee, mom was distressed and wanted a divorce to bring them back to where they had been born. IE divorce, and the parents are ruining the kid's lives. Rough times eh?

[kempff]

Here's an older article Ex-Wife Abducts Two Children, Disappears to Japan.

Double-post, but whatever.

A related Account, I really recommend reading this RANDY COLLINS and Child Abduction in JAPAN.

A Japanese report of the case. If you can read Japanese. Looks to be the same CNN article just re-translated. Apparently it was the most popular article at the time it appeared. And here is, oh wait...nope, it's not there. Go figure.

The Plot thickens.