Background:
On July 13th 2003, Erika Toland was abducted from her home at Negishi Navy Family Housing in Yokohama, Japan. She was abducted by her mother, Etsuko Toland, who subsequently died on October 31st, 2007. Since the death of her mother, Erika has been held in the possession of  her maternal Grandmother, Akiko Futagi. For seven long years her father, Commander Paul Toland, US Navy, has been trying to see his daughter Erika, but to no avail.  Today, Erika remains held captive in Japan, the black hole for child abduction, separated from her only living parent in the country from which no child has ever returned.  Erika is a beautiful little 7 year old girl who deserves to know and feel the love of her only parent, as well as her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins in the United States.

Japan is a haven for international child abduction. Not once has Japan ever returned a single abducted child. Once children enter Japan they never return, making it a black hole. Currently over 321 children have been stolen off American soil and abducted to Japan.