I found out about your shows about the Japanese abduction of kids through the CRC-Japan group. I feel for all these fathers in the group that don’t get to participate in raising their own children and are fighting for their rights in Japan. My own situation is one that I at least have my children with me in California. It sounds petty compared to losing contact with your child but my problem with the Japanese non-enforcable family law and Japan being a non-signatory to the Hague Convention has been receiving child support. I am an American woman with two kids. The ex- signed papers giving jurisdiction to California over our marriage. I filed the signed divorce documents, got temporary child and spousal support orders based on income documents that he provided. The judge was peeved that the ex- didn’t bother showing up. He used a formula to calculate the California standard of support. I sent it on to the husband who was living and working in Brazil at the time and that’s when the battle really began. He decided he didn’t want to pay that much…and it was almost impossible to force him to. I jumped through many hoops and even had contact with the Department of Justice and the Attorney General’s Office. The ex- works for a Japanese company and had never lived in the USA. He was in Brazil on assignment. I ended up being forced to divorce in Japan in order to get anything at all from him after 19 years of marriage…and only child support…NOTHING for me. I had to pay all my own legal and travel expenses for the three trips to Japan. He keeps the international banking job, pension, retirement, house, and status in Japan. It was crazy! The worst part is that I know even my court order from the family court in Japan is NOT enforceable. I could lose even the support that he does send and nothing would happen to him. I have asked him many, many times to visit or contact the children but he refuses…only answering my emails if absolutely necessary. He knows I will call his mom about any problems if he doesn’t answer! His kids live here thinking their father abadoned them, probably the same thing those poor kids abducted to Japan are thinking. They know their dad is living an executive’s life in Japan while we are just scraping by. I was gone for 20 years and it hasn’t been easy being a single mom with two kids that were used to the Japanese school system and trying to re-enter the work force.

I, like CDR Toland, hope that our experiences can enllighten others. It’s ridiculous that Japan doesn’t sign the Hague Convention regarding children’s rights in this day and age. Come on! Where’s the pressure on that country? If my ex- had been from a country that has signed, I could have gotten his wages assigned immediately with the California court order. Instead, the court order was ignored all the way to the top levels of the company…although I at least made them squirm when I got the Department of Child Support Services involved. The bank hired its own team of international lawyers to write to tell us that their employee had no legal obligation to follow Ca. laws and they would not get involved by withholding wages.

Just wanted to show my support to all those dads that you’ve heard from. It always keeps the lack of support money in perspective and has helped me move on. At least I am fortunate enough to have my children safe with me. I am so thankful for that.

LuAnn

This guy Jossy is more in the political world and have more personal problems with the government, every day he publish in his own paper things against politics leaving any other important incident out, what kind of paper is this, we in Aruba are so tired of this person. He that lived for so many years in Aruba is boycutting his own country, let me ask you this question, “What kind of human bean is this?”.

Our economy is mostly kept allive by our tourists, stop this Jossy, go live and boycut in other countries and let us live in peace.