Officials in France issue international arrest warrants against Japanese women accused. They want to keep their two children away from their French father, AFP reports. The case has reignited the “kidnapping of parents” debate in Japan, where there is no concept of joint custody.
Vincent Fischer said his wife disappeared from the family home in Tokyo three years ago with their two children. He has not see his children since then. France has issued an order on charges including the abduction of the parents, AFP reported.
Mr. Fichot made international headlines when he organized a three-week hunger strike during this year’s Tokyo Olympics to raise awareness of the issue.
Japanese law does not stipulate that separated parents must share custody.
Critics accuse authorities of looking the other way when one parent blocks another’s access to their children. As a result, human rights groups estimate that about 150,000 children under 18 are forcibly separated from their parents in Japan every year.
The French Order also accused Mr. Fish harm minors. A lawyer for Mr.’s wife. Fiche told AFP: “The divorce proceedings are ongoing. We have no desire to argue out of court.”