By Randy Collins
Father of Keisuke Christian Collins
Illegally Abducted June 16, 2008
As another year passes and begins, so does the continued heartbreak of not seeing or hearing from my son, Keisuke, again. Every day of every passing month is a different reminder of knowing my son is a statistic in the Black Hole of the Japanese Parental Abduction Abyss.
Father of Keisuke Christian Collins
Illegally Abducted June 16, 2008
As another year passes and begins, so does the continued heartbreak of not seeing or hearing from my son, Keisuke, again. Every day of every passing month is a different reminder of knowing my son is a statistic in the Black Hole of the Japanese Parental Abduction Abyss.
For the past 2 ½ years I ask myself, will this be the day I will hear from my son? Will this be the year the Japanese government opens its eyes to see just how out of touch it is with the rest of the world with regard to International Parental Abduction? Will this be the year my government fights for the return of my son? Keisuke was born in the United States. He lived in the US for five years before being abducted. The US Superior Court ruled he was to stay in the United States. I did everything I could possibly do to protect my son from being abducted. But even after doing everything I could, the Japanese government continues to protect the very person who violated US Court orders on US soil.
Today, March 3rd, is Keisuke’s 8th birthday. I’ve now missed his past three birthdays. I missed his first day of school, his first report card. I’ve missed him riding a bike for the first time or being there for him when he wobbled or was about to fall. No one understands the heart break, sorrow, or the depression we parental victims of these abductions go through every day of our lives.
You may say you need to hear both sides of the story. And I would agree with you. But the “other” person is an international fugitive with arrest warrants issued by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, FBI, and Interpol. Although it was never alleged in my marriage, you may hear allegations of domestic violence by the Japanese media or the lawyers in Japan, even the Japanese government’s mantra “they are protecting their nationals from abuse.” The problem is this rhetoric has a few flaws. First of all, unlike Japan, the US takes domestic violence very seriously. There would be police records and/or court documents to support the allegation. Secondly, most of these abductors claim domestic abuse AFTER they have committed the crime of illegally abducting the child. Allegation must be proven. The fact is, these abductors are wanted fugitives. Japan continues to protect and are complicit in the abduction of our children and should be held accountable. Abuse is a very serious problem. But it is even worse within Japan. CNN recently did a report showing a 400% increase of reported child abuse cases in Japan. Another recent article showed a 40% increase in abuse by Japanese school teachers.
It is time for Japan to start living by the example they so grossly misrepresent. Honor and respect are earned traits, they are not something you claim. There is no honor or respect for a nation that continues to sanction, endorse, and condone the abduction of innocent children. It is time Japan be held accountable for the abduction of my son Keisuke, and all the other children from around the world.
Today, March 3rd, is Keisuke’s 8th birthday. I’ve now missed his past three birthdays. I missed his first day of school, his first report card. I’ve missed him riding a bike for the first time or being there for him when he wobbled or was about to fall. No one understands the heart break, sorrow, or the depression we parental victims of these abductions go through every day of our lives.
You may say you need to hear both sides of the story. And I would agree with you. But the “other” person is an international fugitive with arrest warrants issued by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, FBI, and Interpol. Although it was never alleged in my marriage, you may hear allegations of domestic violence by the Japanese media or the lawyers in Japan, even the Japanese government’s mantra “they are protecting their nationals from abuse.” The problem is this rhetoric has a few flaws. First of all, unlike Japan, the US takes domestic violence very seriously. There would be police records and/or court documents to support the allegation. Secondly, most of these abductors claim domestic abuse AFTER they have committed the crime of illegally abducting the child. Allegation must be proven. The fact is, these abductors are wanted fugitives. Japan continues to protect and are complicit in the abduction of our children and should be held accountable. Abuse is a very serious problem. But it is even worse within Japan. CNN recently did a report showing a 400% increase of reported child abuse cases in Japan. Another recent article showed a 40% increase in abuse by Japanese school teachers.
It is time for Japan to start living by the example they so grossly misrepresent. Honor and respect are earned traits, they are not something you claim. There is no honor or respect for a nation that continues to sanction, endorse, and condone the abduction of innocent children. It is time Japan be held accountable for the abduction of my son Keisuke, and all the other children from around the world.
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