Parental kidnapping is a huge crime, at least it is in America with more than 350,000 children being abducted by a family member each year, which averages out to almost a thousand children being kidnapped by a parent (or very close family member in some cases) each and every day, yikes! But what does this have to do with Japan? After all, if someone were to run to Japan with his or her child illegally, we have a criminal extradition treaty with Japan right? Well, yes and no.

Yes we do have a criminal extradition treaty with Japan, however this does nothing to help the children, such as little Melissa, who have been taken by a non-custodial parent against court orders and custody agreements, overseas to Japan, as parental kidnapping is not a recognized crime there.

Back in March of 2006, Melissa’s non-custodial mother took her against a court order, out of the United States, and to Japan where her parents, Melissa’s grandparents live. Melissa’s father has traveled across the US to Washington D.C six times in the past year desperately trying to change the laws which prevent him from being reunited with his daughter. He knows that without a change in laws, there is little chance of him ever seeing his daughter again. The same holds true for the parents of the other seventeen open cases of parental kidnapping that deal with children who are being held, illegally by American standards and laws, in Japan.


According to the CBS news report, Japan is the only country in the world where the State Department has not been able to return a single child who has been kidnapped by a parent and taken there. This is due to the fact that Japan has not signed the Hauge Convention Treaty; therefore it does not have to honor the child custody rulings of other nations. Without a change in laws, Patrick Braden, the father of Melissa, and all of the other parents who are waiting for the day that they can be reunited with their children can do no more than that…wait.

For more information on Japan, parental kidnapping and what is being done to try to change the laws so that not only can these children currently living in Japan come home and be reunited with their custodial parents, but so that no more children will suffer the same fate of those already abducted, please visit the Children’s Rights Council of Japan.