The entire hearing, "The Goldman Act Turns 10: Holding Hague Convention Violators Accountable and Bringing Abducted American Children Home," is available on the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee website.
"Full support needs to come from the Government of Japan to locate, fund and provide for the reunification of our kidnapped children with their seeking parents. This should extend well into adulthood. Trained experts who understand the lasting damage of parental child abduction need to be available to assist seeking parents bridge the gap and the barriers created by their kidnapping and hardened by time."
The entire hearing, "The Goldman Act Turns 10: Holding Hague Convention Violators Accountable and Bringing Abducted American Children Home," is available on the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee website. Washington, D.C. - The abduction of American children to Japan continues to be a pressing humanitarian issue that demands urgent attention and action. In a May 22, 2024 House Foreign Affairs hearing, U.S. Representative Chris Smith called upon Secretary Antony Blinken to prioritize the plight of over 500 American children who have been kidnapped to Japan since 1994. The US Supreme Court States recognized that family abduction is a form of child abuse with potentially “devastating consequences for a child”, which may include negative impacts on the physical and mental well-being of the child. It may cause a child to “experience a loss of community and stability, leading to loneliness, anger, and fear of abandonment” While the Government of Japan seeks and receives assistance from the United States in resolving the 1977-1983 kidnappings of 17 Japanese citizens to North Korea, it has neglected the suffering of American families grappling with the abduction of their children to Japan. This glaring disparity in treatment underscores the urgent need for Japan to reciprocate the assistance provided by the U.S. by actively engaging in efforts to reunite these American victims with their parents in the United States. Despite repeated appeals from affected American families, there has been a notable lack of acknowledgment or action on their behalf. In a recent development, on April 18, 2024, the Associated Press reported a meeting between U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield met with five Japanese relatives of the abductees to North Korea and told them, “The United States stands with all the families, with all of Japan and with the international community in pressing for a resolution that will allow all families separated by the regime’s policies to be reunited.” She furthered, U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration is committed to raising the abduction issue “at every opportunity and calling for the return of abducted Japanese citizens to their family,” the ambassador said, adding that America sticks to that policy regardless of the leadership. Last month Representative Smith handed a letter directly to Prime Minister Kishida, seeking a public commitment to reunite these families. It the letter he wrote, “Mr. Prime Minister, there is no doubt that child abduction is a form of child abuse. Children who are kidnapped by one parent to live overseas and kept away from another are at grave risk of serious mental trauma, and may experience anxiety, eating disorder, nightmares, mood swings, sleep disturbances, aggressive behavior, resentment, guilt, and fearfulness.” “Regrettably, the abduction of American children to your country remains an ongoing human rights crisis that cannot be sidelined or overlooked.” ![]() How many U.S. children have been kidnapped to Japan? More than 500 since 1994 when the U.S. Department of State's Office of Children's Issue's (OCI) was established. Japan is internationally known as a black hole for child abduction. Where does this 500+ figure come from? It comes from data provided by the U.S. Department of State. Representative Chris Smith reported at the May 24, 2011 hearing in the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee, “Japan has by far the worst record of all. It has not issued and enforced the return order for a single one of the more than 321 American children abducted there since 1994, when the recordkeeping began.”[1] 321 was also the figure reported to us in our July 2011 meeting with OCI by then director Beth Payne along with then Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Kurt Campbell. At this meeting we requested updated figures dating back to 1994. On August 25, 2011 parents of children kidnapped to Japan received a response stating, "As of August 19, 2011, that statistic is 268 cases involving 374 children." Rep Chris Smith makes direct appeal to Japanese Prime Minister to return American children4/11/2024
In a hand delivered-letter to Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio following his address to the US Congress late last week, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) made a direct appeal to the Japanese leader to personally intervene and help return over 500 American children who have been abducted to Japan to their left-behind parents in the United States.
“As our two countries continue to take steps to strengthen our democratic, economic and security ties, I would like to draw your attention to an open wound that threatens to derail many ongoing efforts.” Smith wrote in his letter to Kishida. “To date, more than 500 American children have been abducted to Japan by one of their respective parents and remain separated from their American parent. These abductions often occur against pre-existing court orders and, in some cases, with the passport assistance of the Japanese government,” Smith said in the letter. In his letter, Smith cited just a few of the parents who have been denied access to their children in Japan, including Jeffery Morehouse—who has been fighting for the return of his young son Mochi since 2010 and has testified at several congressional hearings chaired by Smith. Despite having legal custody in Washington State which was recognized by Japanese courts, Morehouse still cannot gain access to his son in Japan. Other parents who have testified before Smith’s committee and who were named in his letter include Retired Navy Capt. Paul Toland, Former Marine Corps Sgt. Michael Elias, and Randy Collins of California. “For the sake of the children who are suffering, and for the sake of U.S. and Japanese relations, I seek your public commitment to reunite these families,” Smith continued in the letter. “I respectfully request that you work with the United States to create a process by which families can be reunited and heal.” International child abductions by Japanese spouses has been a serious issue for a long time. Hear from a child perspective. Multiple amendments were addressed including the need to expand the annual report on "International Child Abduction to include a full accounting for
all kidnapped children and not just open cases." The entire hearing is available on C-SPAN and on the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee. (Geneva) Following September's reports by multiple NGOs and an October 13 briefing by Bring Abducted Children Home's Jeffery Morehouse, the UN Human Rights Committee issued a their concluding observations. They wrote, "the Committee is concerned by reports received regarding frequent cases of “Parental Child Abduction”, domestic and international, and a lack of adequate responses by the State party (arts. 17, 23 and 24)."
"The State party should: ...Introduce the necessary measures to adequately respond to cases of 'Parental Child Abductions' and ensure that decisions on custody of the child, whether domestic or international cases, take into account the best interests of the child and are fully implemented in practice." UN Human Rights Committee Calls For More Information On Parental Abduction Of Children In Japan10/15/2022
SPECIAL REPORT FROM THE United Nations IN GENEVA By JEFFERY MOREHOUSE(Geneva) This week I formally briefed the United Nations Human Rights Committee on parental child abduction and loss of access within and to Japan during a private session. ![]() Giving the 23rd and final briefing, I highlighted key points from our multi-national, multi-NGO report, emphasized the emotional and traumatic impact on abducted children and parents, and called on the committee to, "End the ongoing suffering. Hold the Government of Japan accountable." Many important issues had been presented in earlier years regarding Japan, but our team was successful in making a compelling argument resulting in the committee asking questions of the Japanese Government delegation on day one of the public sessions. From the first round of questions, "the Committee was concerned about reports of parental child abductions in Japan. What measures were in place to respond to these issues?" The delegation from Japan ignored the question causing a committee expert to request an answer on day two. In claiming they've been deliberating parental authority and visitation since March 2021, Japan's answer was inadequate. They failed to respond to the point from our report and briefing that exposed the July 2022 Ministry of Justice's report by the Family Law Reform Commission included NO countermeasure against Parental Child Abduction. Their other response was limited to incoming and outgoing Hague Abduction Convention case figures and claiming they offer a list of attorneys, potential legal aid and ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution, a type of non-binding mediation). Here against they failed to fully respond to the question and scope of the issue that includes a much larger domestic parental child abduction and loss of access crisis than Hague cases alone. ![]() Seizing additional opportunities throughout my time here I spoke individually with committee chairperson Photini Pazartzis, vice-chairperson Vasilka Sancin, and committee rapporteur Duncan Muhumuza Laki. Japan's superficial responses were unsurprising and inadequate. While they continue to attempt to drag it back into the shadows we will continue to bring light to it. Contributing remotely to this week's efforts were John Gomez of Kizuna Child-Parent Reunion, Rei Ozaki of Grassroots Action for Joint Custody and Shared Parenting in Japan, and Paul Touja of Sauvons Nos Enfants Japon.
For Immediate Release
March 30, 2022 Contacts: Tom Mentzer (Feinstein) 202-224-9629 Adam Webb (Tillis) 202-224-6342 Feinstein, Tillis Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Designating April as ‘Countering International Parental Child Abduction Month’ Washington—Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) today led their colleagues in introducing a resolution designating April 2022 as “Countering International Parental Child Abduction Month.” Hundreds of American children are abducted by one of their parents without consent of the other parent and taken to foreign countries every year. In 2020, there were 246 new cases of parental child abductions, half of which were in California. “Parental abduction of a child to a foreign country is a traumatic experience. It is incredibly challenging to reunite these children with their custodial parents, and the children face mental, emotional and physical harm,” said Senator Feinstein. “I’m proud to again lead this resolution with Senator Tillis to help shine a spotlight on this harrowing and complex problem. We must continue to raise awareness of international parental child abduction and do all we can to prevent it.” “Since 2010, almost 10,000 American children have been reported abducted and taken abroad in order to obstruct their left-behind parent’s custody rights,” said Senator Tillis. “The federal government has tools to prevent the abduction and secure the return of our American citizen-children, and it is past time to use them. I am proud to co-introduce this resolution to demonstrate to the executive branch that the Senate is serious about ending international parental child abduction and will work to combat this crime until every single American child is returned home.” In addition to Feinstein and Tillis, the resolution is cosponsored by Senators Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa). By Irina Hasala
Journalist, newspaper Helsingin Sanomat | World news (Japan) Thousands of children are taken out of reach of their other parent each year in Japan. Tapio Tarvas lost contact with his daughter. Jeffery Morehouse, an American, did not get his son back even by court order. In 2008, Tapio Tarvas was waiting for his Japanese spouse and their baby to return to Finland. After weeks of silence, Tarvas received a message: she would stay with their daughter in Japan. Permanently. "My ex-wife said she might come when the child was four or five. It was a mental breakdown for me." Tarvas only met his daughter again when she was 8 years old. According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, a child should have contact with both parents after separation, unless it is harmful to the child. However, in the case of Mr. Tarvas and thousands of Japanese couples, this agreement is not being honored. In Japan, it is estimated that more than 100,000 children lose contact with one of their parents every year. By Yuki Sato
Yomiuri Shimbun, Staff Writer An increasing number of foreign nationals are claiming that their children have been abducted by their current or former Japanese spouse, following the breakdown of their marriage. Not allowing a child to see one of their parents is considered a criminal act in major European countries and the United States, leading to a diplomatic conflict in which Japan is being called on to revise its laws. At today's Senate confirmation hearing for Rahm Emanuel, nominated to be the next US ambassador to Japan, Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez closed the hearing about the kidnapping crisis with Japan. He noted, "More than 475 US children have been kidnapped to Japan and the US has named Japan a top-three worst offender of international parental child abduction." He furthered there has been no significant improvement since Japan became a Hague Abduction Convention signatory in 2014. He asked Mr. Emanuel to make it a priority to get the Japanese government to understand, "When you enter into an international convention and when American children are involved we certainly expect you to live up to your obligations under the convention." Mr. Emanuel underscored his view, "Your word is your bond. If you signed into an agreement to be trusted as a partner and ally, you must uphold the principle of that agreement." Excerpt is from the 3:49:30 mark of the full Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing video.
Tillis and Feinstein Continue Bipartisan Push to Combat International Parental Child Abduction10/1/2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS: Adam Webb (Tillis) Tom Mentzer (Feinstein) WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) continued their efforts to combat International Parental Child Abduction (IPCA) by sending a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting specific statistics about prosecutions and the use of extradition in IPCA cases at DOJ, and other efforts on IPCA. In May, Senators Tillis and Feinstein sent a bipartisan letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) requesting Attorney General Garland help in addressing international parental child abduction and received a response from the DOJ committing to “vigorously securing the extradition and prosecution of individuals who violate our law by absconding with a child to a foreign country or unlawfully retaining a child abroad.” Senators Tillis and Feinstein sent a follow-up today seeking additional information regarding the scope of extradition and prosecution of cases under the International Parental Kidnapping Crime Act (IPKCA). “It has been almost thirty years since Congress first passed the International Parental Kidnapping Crime Act (IPKCA), making it a federal offense to abduct and remove a child to a foreign country,” the senators wrote. “As a matter of Congressional oversight and legislative consideration we would like to learn more about extradition and prosecution in IPCA cases, as well as DOJ efforts to train its employees and to educate the broader justice system about IPCA. Your responses will help us as we develop legislation to improve our nation’s response to IPCA crimes.” The senators also sent a letter to the Embassy of Japan embassy in Washington about their commitment to working with the US government to resolve IPCA cases under new leadership. “Last year, we wrote to then-Ambassador Shinsuke Sugiyama regarding the important issue of international parental child abduction (IPCA),” wrote the senators. “Ambassador Sugiyama responded with a letter acknowledging that IPCA is an ‘extremely important issue for the Japanese Government,’ and that the Japanese Government ‘will continue working to address this issue until all outstanding cases are resolved.’” “With new leadership in Japan, we are hopeful that further progress can be made to reunite left-behind parents and their abducted children,” the senators continued. “We humbly ask that you will continue to encourage the Japanese Government to do everything possible to resolve all remaining international parental abduction cases, both pre- and post-Convention.” ### (Washington, D.C.) The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission led by co-chairs Rep. Christopher H. Smith and Rep. James P. McGovern convened for a hearing on “The Rights of Parents and Children: How to Better Implement the Goldman Act on Child Abduction.”
The Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes that “the child, for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality, should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding.” It further provides “that a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will.” The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction came about to address those circumstances where a child, in distinction to the afore-mentioned principles contained in the CRC, is separated from one parent via cross-border abduction. Between 2008 and 2020, more than 12,350 American children were abducted internationally by a parent, according to the Congressional Research Service. Congress passed the Sean and David Goldman Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act (P.L. 113-150) in 2014, to better implement the Hague Convention, to provide a means to resolve abduction cases among non-Hague countries, and to hold countries accountable for non-compliance with their obligations. While the Convention has helped shaped international norms, only 85 nations plus the European Union have ratified it, and some States Parties are not fully compliant. The Goldman Act provides Congress with data regarding child abductions and authorizes tools for the State Department to use to influence countries to abide by international obligations. The purpose of this hearing is to assess how well the State Department is implementing the Goldman Act to resolve international parental child abduction cases. The hearing will include testimony from prominent international family law attorney whose work informed the drafting of the Goldman Act, and left-behind parents who have subsequently dedicated themselves to advocating for the rights of victims of international parental child abduction. Testifying were:
...But the issue of child abduction in Japan has now morphed into a full-blown diplomatic stand-off for Tokyo, not just with France, but Australia and the United States. French authorities estimate more than 100 children have been caught up in similar circumstances to the 68 Australian children. The United States has 475 children in such situations.
During the Olympic Games, French father Vincent Fichot went on an almost three-week hunger strike outside Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium. He had not seen his kids in three years after his wife abruptly disappeared with them. “The problem with Japan is it is a zero-sum game, there can only be a winner and a loser,” said Australian mother-of-two Catherine Henderson who has spent more than two years attempting to see her kids in Tokyo after her Japanese husband packed up and left with them in April 2019. “There is nothing about the best interests of the child.” (Jeffery) Morehouse has won two custody cases in the US against his Japanese wife but has not seen his son Mochi in more than a decade. “They erase the other parent,” he said. “When a child is kidnapped their whole life is built on a foundation of lies.” ![]() "Seventeen men and women, including three children in their teens and 20s, filed a class action lawsuit regarding parenting time (visitation) with the Tokyo District Court on the 11th of November 2020, seeking ¥100,000 in damages from the government of Japan for parents and children separated due to divorce or other reasons, claiming that they were forced to suffer due to inadequate laws and that their basic human rights, which are guaranteed by the Constitution, have been violated. According to the plaintiffs, this is the first time that children have become plaintiffs in a lawsuit over parenting time, and a man and woman living in Chiba Prefecture are also among the plaintiffs." REPORT: International Parental Child Abduction (IPCA): Foreign Policy Responses and Implications9/29/2020
The U.S. Congressional Research Service's released a new report on international parental child abduction. Here are a few highlights-
“Some Members of Congress have consistently posed questions as to the most effective means of improving foreign government compliance with IPCA standards and processes, and have at times criticized the State Department for refusing to implement potentially more coercive foreign policy tools, such as sanctions. Such arguments have informed several instances in which high-level engagement, coupled with threats to foreign countries’ economic or trading benefits, appears to have preceded the resolution of certain IPCA cases.” “Many experts and policymakers agree that international displacement of a child from his or her home environment to another, with potentially different social structures, cultures, and languages, can cause emotional and psychological harm to the child.” “Responding to this issue, Congress has enacted legislation pertaining to IPCA, engaged in individual cases of abducted children, and conducted oversight of executive branch actions in this area. Congress has held 11 hearings on the subject since 2014, and some Members have on occasion blocked legislation unrelated to IPCA until specific cases were resolved.” Outlook "IPCA will likely continue to be a significant issue for American citizens and U.S. foreign policy, leading Congress to consider options for addressing specific cases and to pursue the broader foreign policy efforts to address this problem. As it considers policy options, Congress may examine the potential and alleged impacts of sanctions, technical assistance, and high-level outreach on compliance and on countries’ willingness to accede to the Hague Convention. In recent years, Congress has raised legislative options for strengthening the U.S. response to IPCA. It may continue to engage this issue through public hearings, direct involvement in specific cases, legislation, and oversight of the State Department Office of Children’s Issues." Japan's Minister of Justice held a webinar "On Japan's Criminal Justice." As a registered participant BAC Home asked,
"Recently Japan has pursued extradition from the U.S. of Michael and Peter Taylor who are accused of aiding Carlos Ghosn in fleeing Japan. On Sept 4, U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell issued a ruling approving the extradition. Some Japanese nationals are wanted and charged under the U.S. laws for international parental kidnapping (18 U.S.C.§1204) and with passport fraud (18 U.S.C.§1542). These combined are viewed by some to align with Articles 224 and 226 of the Japanese penal code. This would make them extraditable offenses. Will the Ministry of Justice commit to extraditing these wanted individuals? If not, can you provide some details why Japan would not wish to uphold the extradition treaty with the U.S.?" U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Diane Feinstein (D-CA) sent a strongly worded letter to the Government of Japan stating, “…the facts on the ground show there is more work which must be done between our governments to bring American citizen children home to their parents.”
“Further delay by your government will only add to the anguish of left-behind American parents and the American public, and may cause us to consider additional legislative measures to resolve this issue. We thank you for your attention to this matter, and for recognizing our joint commitment to securing the return of every single American child abducted abroad. We are counting on you to secure the return of our citizen children." Japan is known as the "black hole of child abduction”. But why does it keep happening? Hear the thoughts and experiences of several activists and experts. ...studies show that depriving children of access to one of their parents can be traumatic and psychologically damaging, says Noriko Odagiri, a professor of clinical psychology at Tokyo International University.
“Children feel like their father abandoned them, that he doesn’t love them anymore,” she said. Morehouse is frustrated that President Trump has, on Abe’s insistence, advocated strongly for Japanese citizens who were abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, meeting their families and raising the issue with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but has not done so for hundreds of stranded American children. The president “ran on a statement and policy of ‘America First,’ ” he said. “He ought to put American kidnapped children first, and bring them home from Japan and other countries.” ![]() For the second year in a row, international partners of the G7 Kidnapped to Japan Reunification Project wrote to representatives of the G7 countries in advance of the 45th G7 summit that will be held on August 24-26, 2019 in Biarritz, France. The international alliance is comprised of parents and organizations from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The immediate objective is to put the Japanese parental child abduction issue on the G7 Summit agenda and bring about a rapid resolution to this crisis affecting the human rights of thousands of children abducted to or within Japan. Since the letter was sent on April 24, 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte have made statements to the press on the abduction crisis to and within Japan. President Macron confirmed he has raised the issue with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Tillis & Feinstein Urge DOJ to Prosecute Individuals Who Unlawfully Abduct American Children3/1/2019
Senators Also Seek Commitment to Provide Training for Law Enforcement Officers to Secure Return of American ChildrenWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) urged Attorney General Bill Barr to make full use of the International Parental Kidnapping Crime Act to combat international parental child abduction.
Every year, several hundred American children are abducted by one parent and brought to a foreign country, where they are isolated from their other parent, family members, and friends. Abduction can have a profound impact on a child’s mental, physical, and emotional well-being. The International Parental Kidnapping Crime Act criminalizes the removal of a child from the United States with “the intent to obstruct the lawful exercise of parental rights.” Individuals found guilty of violating this statute are subject to criminal fines and the possibility of imprisonment of up to three years. These penalties provide powerful inducement for the taking parent to return a wrongfully taken or retained American child abroad.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced a bipartisan Senate resolution (S.Res.23) that designates April 2019 as “Countering International Parental Child Abduction” month and instructs the federal government to educate state and local law enforcement about the issue and how to combat it. Japanese leaders and diplomats regularly lambast North Korea for the abduction of their citizens by state spies – one of countless human rights abuses committed by Pyongyang.
What is less known is that hundreds of American children have been abducted to Japan in defiance of international conventions, while at home, hundreds of thousands of Japanese children suffer from facto parental kidnappings. |
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