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American Father jailed in Japan.

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先輩
4 Nov 2003
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From Kyung Lah
CNN
YANAGAWA, Japan (CNN) -- Wearing a Nashville School of Law T-shirt, Christopher Savoie walked into a second-floor police interrogation room. In one corner, a stopwatch was running to hold him to the 15 minutes allotted for the interview.


"I'm so scared," he said.
Savoie chose his words carefully, lest police Officer Toshihiro Tanaka cut short the rare interview Savoie was granted with CNN on Thursday. There were so many rules: No recording devices. No tough questions. Speak only in Japanese.
"I want Americans to know what's happening to me," Savoie continued in Japanese. "I didn't do anything wrong. Children have the right to see both parents. It's very important for my children to know both parents."
But Japanese authorities disagree.
They have charged Savoie, 38, a Tennessee native and naturalized Japanese citizen, with kidnapping his two children -- 8-year-old Isaac and 6-year-old Rebecca -- as his estranged wife, Noriko, was walking them to school Monday in Yanagawa, a rural town in southern Japan.
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Watch what else Savoie had to say »
He headed for the nearest U.S. consulate, in the city of Fukuoka, to try to obtain passports for the children, screaming at the guards to let him in the compound. He was steps away from the front gate but still standing on Japanese soil.


Japanese police, alerted by his estranged wife, arrested him.
The Savoies were divorced in Tennessee in January after 14 years of marriage. The marriage has not been annulled in Japan, and the children hold Japanese passports.
Christopher Savoie had visitation rights with his children, but after he returned from a short summer trip, his estranged wife fled to Japan with the children, according to court documents. A United States court then granted sole custody to Savoie.
Japanese law, however, recognizes Noriko Savoie as the primary custodian, regardless of the U.S. court order.
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Watch why the case is complicated »
A 1980 Hague Convention standardized laws on international child abduction. But Japan is not a party to that agreement. Savoie was out of luck.
If a child in Japan is taken against the wishes of the recognized Japanese parent, the person who took the child is considered an abductor.
"Japanese people think she's the victim here," Savoie said. "In the States, my ex-wife is the one who's in the wrong."
U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley recognized this case as a difficult one. Even though the United States has strong ties with Japan, on this particular issue, the two nations' points of view could not differ more, he said.
In Yanagawa, those who have heard about the abduction case tend to side with the woman.
"They belong with their real mother," said one woman, herself a mother of two children.
Savoie's attorney, Tadashi Yoshino, knows the cultural divide will be hard to overcome.
"He technically may have committed a crime according to Japanese law but he shouldn't be indicted," Yoshino said. "He did it for the love of his children."
Savoie, a law student who already has a Ph.D. and a M.D., will spend 10 days in jail while Japanese prosecutors sort out the details of the case.
In the interrogation room, Savoie appeared exhausted. Tears welled in his eyes. He glanced over at the police officer, then paused to regain composure.
"I love you, Isaac, Rebecca," he said. "Your daddy loves you forever. I'll be patient and strong until the day comes that I can see you both again. I am very sorry that I can't be with you."


He was grateful be able to get the words out. Moments earlier, the interview had almost ended after Savoie blurted out in English: "I love you," a message intended for his current wife, Amy, in Nashville.
Then, as is Japanese custom, he bowed. And from the other side of the glass barrier, he gave a thumbs up, mouthing the words, "Thank you."

Father in Japan: 'I didn't do anything wrong' - CNN.com
 
It's difficult to criticize the Japanese judicial system as outrageous without knowing the American judge that gave the Mom ready access to her kids' passports (for a VACATION....really...I PROMISE...) after he repeatedly tried to warn the court of her intentions back in the U.S. :angryfire:


The US State Dept can hopefully exercise its rights with a line of backdoor diplomacy, the problem of course is that you can't hold up all of diplomatic relations with Japan over a single American family. Even as important & heartwrenching the issue of involved dads getting screwed over by the law becomes. I guess it's a lot easier to put on a big show about getting kidnapped Americans out of a North Korean labor camp than get a father with a legitimate claim to his children who tried to recover them from his criminal wife out of jail in Japan. :eek:
 
She violated a court order whilst in the jurisdiction of said court. Japanese courts are simply being c*nts. ******* idiots they are, what does Japanese law matter when the court order was violated in a different jurisdiction. Tossbags.
 
US laws have no bearing on other countries. Supposedly she could be extradited but that would only be the case if the resident country agrees to release said criminal. In this case it's very touchy because US and Japan has very close economical ties. Savoie on the otherhand is also in the wrong thinking he could just barge into another country and take back his children without consequence. Bottom line is if the mom had not did what she did Savoie would be back stateside happy with his children and she could still see them when she wanted. The children were obviously allowed to pass with the mother since they had Japanese passports. Our custody laws cannot prevent this from occuring since it would appear they were Japanese children (passport wise).
I still think Japan should recognize she initiated the wrong doing, and do what's right. allow the children to go back with parent who was awarded custody legally.
 
US laws have no bearing on other countries. Supposedly she could be extradited but that would only be the case if the resident country agrees to release said criminal. In this case it's very touchy because US and Japan has very close economical ties. Savoie on the otherhand is also in the wrong thinking he could just barge into another country and take back his children without consequence. Bottom line is if the mom had not did what she did Savoie would be back stateside happy with his children and she could still see them when she wanted. The children were obviously allowed to pass with the mother since they had Japanese passports. Our custody laws cannot prevent this from occuring since it would appear they were Japanese children (passport wise).
I still think Japan should recognize she initiated the wrong doing, and do what's right. allow the children to go back with parent who was awarded custody legally.
Well the kids got to America as well and should still have dual citizenship being born to an American father (Savoie at the time, now a naturalized Japanese who basically has no recourse to the US if he is not even a citizen anymoreツ…)

Forget the custody angle. It basically comes down to a case of Americans as hostages in a foreign country, which is against international law in any circumstance. Although I suppose the wife can also argue she was 'held' against her will by an American judge with a court order not to leave the country. Japan will be signing Hague agreement, though, in 2010. With retroactive provisions applicable to this particular case ?
 
I wondered about Savoie's status as well since he was living in the US but is a naturalized Japanese Resident. With the children though they are not necessarily being held hostage as they are in Japan's eyes legally with the correct parent. It the international child abduction should be recognized by Japan and I think they should make the provisions retroactive to help those parents who have been fighting for their children all this time.
 
Messy Divorce Case

In Japan, Savoie is recognized as a Japanese citizen by the U.S., so this matter becomes just a messy divorce case/custody battle involving Japanese citizens on Japanese soil. The U.S. government will not get involved.

The father is no more of angel than the mother is, and I wouldn't get involved or worry about this matter for anything less than 2 man yen per hour. 😊

Dogen Z, Esq. :)
 
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She did not comply with the ruling of the American court on American soil. That'd make it transnational crime. Japan is not recognising the jurisdiction of American courts in their own territory. That's absurd.
 
She did not comply with the ruling of the American court on American soil. That'd make it transnational crime. Japan is not recognising the jurisdiction of American courts in their own territory. That's absurd.
I don't know if it is possible to work any laws pertaining to international crime, but that's exactly the essence of it. She has taken refuge in a country with which the rest of the world doesn't have an extradition treaty. The custody issue is a complete red herring in my opinion.
 
It's so sad what adults will do to hurt each other, even if it means hurting their children.

I think divorce and custody in Japan is awful. I know two Japanese men, that have gotten divorced and they will never see their kids again...and one who got the son, and the wife got the daughter. Children aren't things to be divided.

It makes me sick to think of that, and what really bothered me, is that the fathers were like, that's the way it is, what can we do? Fight for your rights, the rights of your kids, they deserve to have both parents. (in most cases)
 
I'd like to know what the mom tells her kids when they ask why daddy is in jail... sadly this story is getting very little attention over here and a lot of the people I have mentioned it to thus far have no idea about the case.
 
I'd like to know what the mom tells her kids when they ask why daddy is in jail... sadly this story is getting very little attention over here and a lot of the people I have mentioned it to thus far have no idea about the case.

Well if you read some of the other articles you'll see that the major broadcasters have no interest in this news. I know Asahi has a small article on it that I showed Rieko.

I for one can understand Japan not recognizing US laws but the fact remains that one of their citizens broke the law in another country. I wouldn't expect Japan to enforce US law but to surrender the parties involved so the case can be processed appropriately.

Also reading more it looks like Savoie did make attempts to legally get his kids back but failed.
 
It's clear that he kept refusing the wife's request for a divorce, asking her to give it one last go together and move to the US with him in order to divorce her, and marry his mistress a month later in such a way to make custody of the children a more viable possibility for himself.

They're both creeps...but he's got the courts on his side and at least in this country that says a lot.
Maybe next time he'll bother finding out the Japanese laws regarding his kids before deciding to cheat.
 
The marriage has not been annulled in Japan

I don't know why he forgot the easiest duty as a Japanese to notify their divorce to the J embassy/consulate nearby before his new marriage.

Bigamy is a (rare) crime in Japan, so this makes the case more complicated.
 
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