U.S. father arrested in Japan for picking up kids abducted by ex-wife

[Tsuruneru]

A Tennessee father has been arrested in Japan while trying to reach a U.S. consulate with his two children who had been abducted by his ex-wife. Japanese police, who do not recognize U.S. family court orders, took Christopher Savoie into custody just outside the gates of the consulate in the city of Fukuoka. Read the rest here. http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline...by-exwife.html

[MMM]

It's important to know if you marry a Japanese person and your kids have Japanese passports, and you aren't Japanese, you have no parental rights over the Japanese parent in Japan.

I hope the Embassy can help get him out of jail.

[Tsuruneru]

If not then maybe these kids would turn out like the Korean story i did not too long ago.

[Nathan]

Most people who are commenting on the article either did not read it fully, or are blissfully ignorant that American laws do not apply to the whole world.

The man obtained the court order after she already had the children with her in Japan. The man did not have a legal standing to go and attempt to retrieve them, as from Japan's legal standpoint he became the kidnapper.

The comments are pretty sad; don't marry foreigners, shame on the Consulate - it should have helped a US citizen break a foreign country's laws!

At least some of the later comments point out the flawed thinking of the earlier ones.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by Nathan

Most people who are commenting on the article either did not read it fully, or are blissfully ignorant that American laws do not apply to the whole world.

The man obtained the court order after she already had the children with her in Japan. The man did not have a legal standing to go and attempt to retrieve them, as from Japan's legal standpoint he became the kidnapper.

The comments are pretty sad; don't marry foreigners, shame on the Consulate - it should have helped a US citizen break a foreign country's laws!

At least some of the later comments point out the flawed thinking of the earlier ones.

Who knows why she took off to Japan with her kids in the first place? There is an important piece to the puzzle we don't know.

[Nathan]

Originally Posted by MMM

Who knows why she took off to Japan with her kids in the first place? There is an important piece to the puzzle we don't know.

Why she took off in the first place does not excuse violating another countries laws. Unfortunate as it may be, being morally correct and legally correct are not always in line with one another.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by Nathan

Why she took off in the first place does not excuse violating another countries laws. Unfortunate as it may be, being morally correct and legally correct are not always in line with one another.

I am not saying it does...what I mean is people (in the comments) are defending him, but for all we know he might have been an abusive father.

[Tsuruneru]

That much i don't know i just saw the story on TV and then searched it up on the Internet but they had an interview of him crying saying that he missed his kids and he hates a quiet house.

[Sangetsu]

Originally Posted by Nathan

Most people who are commenting on the article either did not read it fully, or are blissfully ignorant that American laws do not apply to the whole world.

The man obtained the court order after she already had the children with her in Japan. The man did not have a legal standing to go and attempt to retrieve them, as from Japan's legal standpoint he became the kidnapper.

The comments are pretty sad; don't marry foreigners, shame on the Consulate - it should have helped a US citizen break a foreign country's laws!

At least some of the later comments point out the flawed thinking of the earlier ones.

The US has treaties with many countries in the world, and those who violate laws in America and flee to these countries can expect to be arrested and returned to America where they will have their day in court. It appears that the man's wife has had a warrant issued for her arrest for illegally removing her kids from America (kidnapping), it remains to be seen whether or not Japan is willing to extradite her back to America to face the charges (unlikely).

The US consulate should have let the man and his children enter, it was legally obligated to do so. Had the man made it to the consulate, he would have been technically on US soil, and Japanese law would not no longer have applied to him or his children.

This is a sad case which often occurs. Unlike in America and other countries, Japan only respects the rights of the Japanese parent. This gives the foreign parents few options but do to what the man in the story did.

If these were your children, what would you do? Just let them go and never see or speak to them again? Could you live with yourself? I'm actually quite proud that this man had the courage to do what he did, maybe it will open up a few eyes and motivate a few changes in Japanese law.

[Ryzorian]

Being as I don't know the whole story I can't say. Japan isn't the only country like that though, many middle Eastern ones are like that as well. I doubt much will be made of it.