Mois : octobre 2009

À SHIBUYA (Tokyo) le samedi 24 octobre 2009
à partir de 12h 30

En relation avec la semaine ONU 2009, et pour commémorer la fondation de l’Organisation des Nations Unies le 24 octobre, un rassemblement international pour le respect des Droits de l’Enfant au Japon, la garde et l’autorité parentale partagées, pour le droit de visite en cas de séparation ou de divorce du couple parental, ainsi que pour la signature par le Japon de la Convention de La Haye (1980) sur les Aspects civils de l’enlèvement international d’enfants, se rendra du Parc de Yoyogi au siège de l’ONU à Aoyama.

Ce rassemblement aura lieu à partir de 12h 30 devant le Muscle Theater à Shibuya (Avenue Keyaki dans le Parc de Yoyogi (Station Harajuku, ligne Yamanote) et prendra son départ en direction du Children’s Castel à Aoyama à 13h 30.

L’événement est organisé par les associations de parents japonais et étrangers privés de leurs enfants (voir ci-dessous).
Il sera maintenu en cas de légère pluie, mais annulé en cas de forte pluie.
Contact : Kentaro Mashito
Tel : 080-7015-2925

Bien que le Japon ait ratifié en 1994 la Convention sur les Droits de l’Enfant (CRC), dont l’art. 9-3 stipule que « Les Etats parties respectent le droit de l’enfant séparé de ses deux parents ou de l’un d’eux d’entretenir régulièrement des relations personnelles et des contacts directs avec ses deux parents, sauf si cela est contraire à l’intérêt supérieur de l’enfant. », le Japon n’a toujours pas, à ce jour, respecté cet engagement. En effet, il n’existe pas dans ce pays de droit de visite en cas de séparation ou de divorce du couple parental, et l’autorité parentale et la garde, après le divorce, sont données à un seul parent. Cela a pour conséquence de couper les relations entre les enfants et le parent aliéné et privé de ses droits. Chaque année, selon les statistiques officielles du ministère de la justice japonais, 166.000 enfants — dont de très nombreux enfants binationaux— sont privés de tout contact avec leur autre parent.
Le Japon est maintenant connu pour être un havre pour les parents kidnappeurs. Il est le seul pays du G8, avec la Russie, à ne pas avoir encore signé la Convention de La Haye de 1980.

Nous avons besoin de votre soutien ! Venez nombreux au rassemblement pour les Droits de l’Enfant, avec votre famille, vos amis et toute personne sympathisante de cette cause humanitaire.

Le rassemblement est organisé et soutenu par :

* The group of the Joint Custody
http://kyoudousinkenhubo.cocolo-nifty.com/

*Oyako-Net
http://blog.goo.ne.jp/oyakonet

*Left-Behind Parents Japan
http://www.meetup.com/Left-Behind-Parents-Japan/

*SOS Parents Japan
http://sos-parents-japan.org/

*CRC Japan
http://www.crcjapan.com/

VENEZ NOMBREUX !

Chris Smith, un membre du Congrès américain, lance un appel pour la libération de Christopher Savoie, arrêté lundi 28 septembre par la police japonaise et incarcéré à Fukuoka (Japon) après avoir tenté de placer ses deux enfants, Isaac et Rebecca, sous la protection du gouvernement américain. C’est en les  emmenant au consulat des USA de cette ville après les avoir récupérés qu’il a été interpellé. Ses enfants, dont il a reçu la garde du tribunal du Tennessee (USA), avaient été enlevés en août dernier aux Etats-Unis et ramenés secrètement au Japon par leur mère japonaise, Noriko, ex-épouse de Christopher.

Au Japon, l’enlèvement parental n’est pas un crime…pour celui qui en prend le premier l’initiative !  En effet, Noriko, japonaise, y est aujourd’hui considérée comme victime, et son ex-mari est en prison pour enlèvement d’enfant mineur. C’est dans ce pays, en effet, le parent qui est le plus rapide à enlever les enfants qui gagne, au mépris des jugements rendus à l’étranger : la loi de la jungle !

M. Chris Smith demande à son gouvernement d’effectuer toutes les pressions possibles, voire de décider de sanctions à l’encontre des pays qui, comme le Japon, protègent les parents kidnappeurs. Il lui demande aussi un soutien aux parents victimes d’enlèvement de la part de leur ex-conjoint.

Chris Smith

New Jersey’s Fourth Congressional District

Contact: Jeff Sagnip (609) 585-7878

http://chrissmith.house.gov

Includes parts of Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth & Ocean Counties

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sept. 29, 2009

Smith Legislation Sanctions Countries that Refuse to Help Left-Behind Parents

Father Arrested in Japan Underscores Need for Reforms

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The case of an American father who has been arrested in Japan for attempting to regain access to his children, taken to Japan by his ex-wife in violation of a U.S. court order, is helping to raise awareness of the increasing problem of international parental child abduction and the heartbreak and frustration suffered by the parents left behind.

“International child abduction violates the rights of the left behind parent and the rights of the child to know both parents,” said Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), a senior Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a Congressional Representative to the United Nations.  “Sadly, international child abductions are on the increase.  In the last three years, reported international child abductions have increased 60 percent.”

Christopher Savoie of Tennessee was arrested earlier this week in Japan after he attempted to reclaim his two children who were taken to Japan by his ex-wife a month ago in direct violation of a U.S. court order. Savoie was taken into custody and is facing criminal charges.

Historically, parents left behind when their children are abducted to Japan have little hope and little recourse for justice because the Japanese government ignores U.S. family court rulings and will not honor the rights of American parents.  Even in “extreme cases” such as when the abducting parent passes away, the Japanese government has not returned the child to the left behind parent. In fact, there is no known case of Japan ever returning an abducted  Japanese-American child to the left behind parent.

“There is an opportunity here to turn a new page,” Smith said. “There is a glimmer of hope, and some encouraging signs that the new administration under the leadership of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama will approach the issue of international parental child abduction in a way that recognizes the right of the adult parent.  The case of Chris Savoie sheds light on the more than 100 open cases  of American parents who have been blocked from their rightful access to their children in Japan.

“I urge the Prime Minister to see this incident as a catalyst,” Smith said. He should form a task force and deal expeditiously, compassionately and judiciously to bring reconciliation and reunification to children abducted to Japan and their parents left behind.”

Smith has been working to push the U.S. Congress and the Obama Administration to better address international child abductions in Japan and elsewhere around the world. In July, he introduced the “International Child Abduction Prevention Act of 2009”, H.R. 3240, at a press conference alongside left behind parents from across the country whose children have been abducted to Japan and Brazil (bill summary). One case has garnered significant attention: David Goldman the father of abducted American-born Sean Goldman, now 9, has been fighting to bring Sean home from Brazil for more than five years. There are currently over 2,800 American children being held in foreign countries against the wishes of a left behind parent.

“My legislation, HR 3240 empowers the United States to more aggressively pursue the resolution of abduction cases,” Smith said.  “Our current system is not providing justice for left behind parents or for children whisked away from their mom or dad. Congress must act so that more children are not further traumatized by parental abduction.”

Key provisions of the Smith legislation include:

• Requires the President to respond with a range of mutually reinforcing penalties, including sanctions against a country, when that country has shown a pattern of non-cooperation in resolving child abduction cases

• Creates the position of Ambassador at Large for International Child Abduction within the State Department to advise the Secretary of State and raise the profile of the more than 2,800 children who have been abducted.

• Empowers the Ambassador at Large to pursue additional legal frameworks abroad, including bilateral agreements with countries that have not yet acceded to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

• Authorizes greater resources for a new office within the State Department to better assist left behind parents and expand the State Department’s ability to collect detailed information on abductions.

“Child abduction is child abuse,” Smith said. “The kidnapped child is at risk for serious emotional and psychological problems. As adults, they may struggle with identity issues, their own personal relationships and parenting.

“We can and must do better to help children abducted by a parent and to assist the parents left behind.”

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/09/30/japan.savoie.children/index.html

TOKYO, Japan (CNN) — The case of a Tennessee man jailed in Japan for trying to snatch back his children from his estranged wife is not as clear-cut as it’s been made out to be, authorities here said Wednesday.

The father, Christopher Savoie, apparently became a naturalized Japanese citizen four years ago, listing a permanent address in Tokyo, they said.

And while he and Noriko Savoie, a Japanese native, divorced in Tennessee, the two never annulled their marriage in Japan, Japanese officials said.

Also, the two children at the center of the case hold Japanese passports, they said.

« His chances of getting his children back home to the States, I think, are pretty slim right now, » Jeremy Morley, Savoie’s lawyer in the United States, told CNN’s « AC 360 » on Tuesday night. Watch how dad landed in Japanese jail »

« We’re getting this in the hands of Interpol. We’re putting the pressure, » he added. « We want diplomatic pressure. We want the United States government to act strongly. » Read about why the case is not news in Japan

Savoie was arrested Monday when he snatched his two children — 8-year-old Isaac and 6-year-old Rebecca — as Noriko Savoie was walking them to school in Fukuoka, about 680 miles (1,100 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Tokyo.

He headed for the U.S. consulate in that city to try to obtain passports for them, authorities said. But Japanese police, alerted by Noriko Savoie, arrested him.

U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Wednesday, « We have paid a consular visit on Mr. Savoie and we stand ready to help him in any way that we can. »

« Obviously, this is a very difficult issue, » he said. « … The United States and Japan have an important partnership but on this particular issue, the issue of … abduction, we have different points of view. »

Japanese authorities said Wednesday that Savoie was eating well and was staying in a jail cell by himself.

He will be held for 10 days while prosecutors sort out the details of the case. Watch a discussion of U.S.-Japan custody cases »

« I know he had to go to the hospital for blood pressure issues, » said Amy Savoie, whom Savoie married after divorcing Noriko Savoie in Tennessee in January. « The gentleman from the consulate was able to contact me this morning, and he confirmed that Christopher had gone to the hospital. The first night he needed medication for his high blood pressure. »

After their Tennessee divorce, Noriko Savoie agreed to live in Franklin, Tennessee, to be close to the children, taking them to Japan for summer vacations.

In March, Savoie requested a restraining order to prevent her from taking the children to Japan, fearing she would not return.

« I was on a speaker phone telephone call once when she proclaimed to him, ‘You have no idea what I’m capable of, » said Amy Savoie. « So, yes, he had the idea. » Watch Amy Savoie discuss custody battle »

Noriko Savoie could not be reached by CNN for comment.

On the day that the two children were to begin school in August, Savoie learned Noriko Savoie had fled with them to Japan.

After that, Savoie filed for and was granted full custody of the children by a Tennessee court. And Franklin police issued an arrest warrant for Noriko Savoie.

But Japan is not a party to a 1980 Hague Convention on international child abduction.

« We continue to encourage Japan to join with our countries and sign the Hague Convention, » Crowley said Wednesday.

Foreign parents have had little luck in regaining custody, the U.S. State Department said.

« She has committed a felony, the mother, » Morley said. « It’s a very serious felony. She would go to jail for serious time if she were here.

« But Japan has a different legal system and a different set of customs and ideas about custody. And their idea is that somebody who is Japanese and the mother should be entitled to have the kids and have the kids alone. The fact that they were living here is kind of irrelevant, and the fact that there’s a court order here is irrelevant. »

So, Savoie flew to Fukuoka to try to get back his children — and landed himself in jail.

« These kids are the ones that are suffering, » Morley said. « These kids are without their father, and their father needs to be a part of their life. It’s not fair that he’s been taken away from them. »

CNN’s Kyung Lah contributed to this report.