| Gunnar Daniel Berg |
 |
| LBP Name: Douglass Berg |
| Abduction Date: Aug 2009 |
| Last Contact: Aug 2009 |
| Kianna Joanna Berg |
 |
| LBP Name: Douglass Berg |
| Abduction Date: Aug 2009 |
| Last Contact: Aug 2009 |
| Erika Toland |
 |
| LBP Name: Paul Toland |
| Separation Date: Aug 2003 |
| Last Contact: Jul 2004 |
| Keisuke Collins |
 |
| LBP Name: Randy Collins |
| Abduction Date: Jun 2008 |
| Last Contact: Jun 2008 |
Government PR
Joint Press Statement (International Child Abduction – Eight Nations)
Saturday, May 1st, 2010January 30, 2010
We, the Ambassadors to Japan of Australia, France, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, the Charges d’Affaires a.i. of Canada and Spain and the Deputy Head of Mission of Italy, called on Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs today to submit our concerns over the increase of international parental abduction cases involving Japan and affecting our nationals, and to urge Japan to sign the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (“the Convention”).
ShareDept of State address Japanese Parental Child Abduction
Saturday, May 1st, 2010February 2, 2010 - Assistant Secretary Kurt Campbell addresses the issue of Japanese Child Abductions. This is one of the few public statements made by the Department of State on abductions to Japan. Read the Official statement here.
ShareH Res 125 addresses Brazil and Japan Child Abduction
Saturday, May 1st, 2010Here is H. Res 125 which is mostly about the David Goldman case, but it also calls out Japan for their Child Abduction abuses.
ShareMichael C. Gulbraa writen statement to Tom Lantos Hearing
Saturday, May 1st, 2010Michael C. Gulbraa had two sons Michael K. & Christopher R. Gulbraa that were abducted by their US-citizen mother and US-citizen stepfather in November 2001. Read this statement submitted to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Hearings on International Child Abduction on December 2, 2009.
Download statement here: Mike Gulbraa Statement
ShareChris Gulbraa Statement submitted to the Tom Lantos Hearing
Saturday, May 1st, 2010Chris Gulbraa suffered many different abuses as an abducted child. He suffered physical, emotional and mental abuses. What he suffered through is unnecessary, and that is what left-behind parents fear the most. Read the statement he submitted to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Hearings on International Child Abduction on December 2, 2009.
Read the Statement Here: Chris Gulbraa
ShareTom Lantos Human Rights Commission on International Child Abductions
Saturday, May 1st, 2010Calls on President Obama to meet with left behind parents and to address the issue of International Child Abductions.
Download letter to President Obama here: Child abduction Obama_20091209
Download letter to Secretary Clinton here: Child abduction Clinton_20091209
ShareSenators Request President address Japanese child abductions on visit
Saturday, May 1st, 201022 U.S. Senators request President Obama to address the issue of Japanese child abductions.
Download the document here: 11 5 09 Obama on Japanese Abduction(2)
ShareRep Loretta Sanchez addresses Japanese child abduction on the House Floor
Saturday, May 1st, 2010Below is a Speech that Rep Loretta Sanchez gave on the floor of the U.S. House floor.
Download document here: Congressional Record Speech of Keisuke-1
ShareTom Lantos Commission Press Release
Saturday, May 1st, 2010chrissmith.house.gov
Christopher Smith
Contact: Jeff Sagnip 202-225-3765
David Goldman, Left-Behind Parents Make Compelling Cases for Their Children’s Return
Ask Congress to Act @ Hearing on Int’l Child Abduction
Washington, Dec 2 -
The heartbreaking stories of left-behind parents whose children are held in other countries were laid out before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC) at a hearing on international child abduction and parental access that also included judicial and legal experts, the head of the Center for Missing and Exploited Children and other witnesses.
“International child abduction is a huge scandal that has been significantly enabled by ignorance, indifference, incompetence, or outright complicity by far too many governments around the world,” said Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), an executive member of the TLHRC who arranged the hearing. “The present state of affairs is unconscionable and must change. David Goldman’s situation cries out for an immediate and final resolution.” (Click here for the rest of the Congressman’s remarks.)
Chief witness David Goldman of Tinton Falls, Monmouth County, N.J., father of Sean Goldman, spoke of how Sean was abducted by his mother in 2004 and taken to Brazil, never to return home since. Sean is now nine years old and his mother has since died. David Goldman explained how the mother’s second husband has been able to continue to block all attempts for Sean to return home, despite both the U.S. and Brazil being signatories of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
“We cannot dwell on or bring back the years we have lost, but we can hope to look forward to the remaining precious years ahead,” said Goldman. “My son Sean is still a young boy and he can still heal, but he needs to come home now. I appeal and plead to all of you at the most basic level of human decency to respect the sanctity of the parent-child relationship. Please take action to make a difference, to bring change, to bring our children home.” (David Goldman’s Testimony)
“I pray that Congress does not just hold hearings on this ongoing tragedy, but joins together in a bipartisan commitment to pass legislation that will ensure the U.S. government has the tools to return abducted American children immediately as the treaty requires and that other countries learn there are serious consequences for refusing to return abducted American children.”
In July, Smith introduced the “International Child Abduction Prevention Act of 2009”, H.R. 3240 to create an ambassador-at-large in the State Department to help resolve and prevent cases of international child abduction, and empower the Administration with options to penalize countries who fail to cooperate with the U.S. in returning abducted U.S. children.
Other left behind parents, Tom Sylvester, father of Carina Sylvester who has been held in Austria since 1995, Navy Commander Paul Toland, father of Erika Toland who has been held in Japan since 2003, and Patrick Braden, father of Melissa Braden who has been held in Japan since 2006, offered similar accounts. Japan is not a signatory of the Hague treaty, and has never returned an American child through its court system.
“Nothing is more important and deep-seated in this world than a parent’s love for his child… we all love our children,” said Toland, explaining that Erika’s mother passed away and his daughter is held by her grandmother without his approval. “Equally important is a society’s responsibility to ensure that their most vulnerable citizens, their children, have the opportunity to know and love their parents. This is where Japan and many other nations have failed, and this is why we are here today. Japan is a haven for international child abduction.” )
Also testifying were: The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children President and Chief Executive OfficeErnie Allen; Judge Peter Messitte, U.S. District Court, Maryland, and U.S. Representative on the Judicial Network on the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction; international child custody expert, attorney Patricia Apy; and Former Asst. Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (1989-93), Bernard Aronson. (Click on each witnesses name for their testimony).
Judge Messitte predicted that the Goldman case would proceed with another favorable court ruling by the Superior Tribunal in Rio this month, with two higher court rulings pending in the Superior Tribunal of Justice and then the Supreme Federal Tribunal in Brasilia, both of which he thought would be favorable. Unfortunately, those rulings could take several months, he said, during which time the current court-ordered return of Sean to his father will continue to be stayed.
“The (Goldman) case should have been resolved years ago and Sean Goldman should have been returned to his father in New Jersey,” Messitte said. The Judge was optimistic that the high profile nature of the Sean Goldman case has brought a strong awareness of the Hague Convention within the Brazilian courts.
The other Members of the Commission who participated include are Co-Chairman Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Jim McGovern (D-MA), and Rush Holt (D-NJ) and Jean Schmidt (R-OH).
ShareDept of Sate comments at Symposium on International Parental Child Abduction
Saturday, May 1st, 2010May 21, 2009 – Remarks by Michele Bond, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Overseas Citizens Services at Symposium on International Child Abduction at the US Embassy Tokyo. Read her statement here.