American jailed trying for to recover his abducted kids in Japan!

[tricky_ab]

debito.org » Blog Archive » CNN and NBC TODAY Show: American attempts to recover his abducted kids, is turned away from Fukuoka Consulate, arrested for “kidnapping” (http://www.debito.org/?p=4582)

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/as...her.abduction/ (http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/09/29/japan.father.abduction/)

Tennessee resident Christopher Savoie had his kids taken away from him by his Japanese ex-wife. Despite the fact that he had custody of the kids and she's now a criminal in the States, she brought them to Japan which does not recognizes international child abduction laws. Seeing as there are hundreds of similar cases in which the father never sees the kids again, he decided to take matters into his own hands by returning to Fukuoka and attempting to grab his kids and return to the States. Just as he was making it to the American consulate, he was arrested by police and is currently sitting in jail. Maybe his plan was poorly executed, but I suppose that isn't the big issue...

If there is any good news, it's that this is getting international media attention. I've noticed this story on various media outlets they were all criticizing Japan on not handing over the mother and the kids as she kidnapped them from the US. This is making Japan look very, very bad and I can only hope that this coverage, along with the change in government, can push Japan to sign the Hague treaty. CNN also noted that there have been many cases such as this one and that Japan does not recognize the fact that he got full custody in the US and that SHE is the criminal in the States. They made the mom look pretty bad and made dad look like a hero so I would imagine that Japan is going to want this problem to go away quickly. Still, what this will hold for Savoie, no one knows for sure...

Still, the lack of mainstream news coverage about this incident here makes me really question if anything is going to come of this...at the very least, most 2ch discussions seem to be in support of the father.

Update: debito.org » Blog Archive » Foreign Policy.com on Savoie Case: US Govt advised father Chris to get children to Fukuoka Consulate! Plus lots more media. (http://www.debito.org/?p=4726)

Savoie being held in horrible conditions at a Japanese jail, trying to force him to confess to a crime (standard practice here). Also shows that he was advised to bring his kids to the consulate by the US State Department.

[Matej]

Savoie being held in horrible conditions at a Japanese jail, trying to force him to confess to a crime (standard practice here).
From what I have heard Japanese jails are not bad at all, especially when you are a foreigner, so I wonder what they mean by horrible conditions.

[drift freaq]

Ah this is old news where have you been. This was news like 3 weeks ago.

[HyperTek]

she has a right fuck that..

but also why? she could collect child support. .oh well. dumb hoe in the first place, shouldnt be f-in around with an american dude if she aint gonna stick around for the kids

[tricky_ab]

From what I have heard Japanese jails are not bad at all, especially when you are a foreigner, so I wonder what they mean by horrible conditions.

I'm trying to find out more about it myself...

Ah this is old news where have you been. This was news like 3 weeks ago.

Ah I didn't know...I just heard about this earlier today...

[drift freaq]

Japanese law when it comes to divorce is very different. When a couple gets a divorce the man gives the house and the children to the wife. He no longer is involved with the family and pretty much is excommunicated. Now the thing is she is looking at from those standards. Also she got the kids Japanese passports which by Japanese law makes them Japanese citizens in the Japanese authorities eyes. Hence why the father got arrested for what looked like kidnapping.
This is not the first time this has happened. American legal experts are trying to get the Japanese to overhaul their divorce laws and custody laws.
Fact is there is something that does not add up in this story either. The American guys kids with his Japanese ex are not more than 5 years old at the youngest. He already has a White American wife back in the states and kids by her that are of all equal age. It sounds like he was fucking around on his Japanese wife and she found out.

When I first came across this story on CNN a few weeks ago? I was kinda shocked but when I found out he had a wife in the states with kids close to if not the same age?I started smelling a rat that was not telling the full story.

[Touge Noob S13]

From what I have heard Japanese jails are not bad at all, especially when you are a foreigner, so I wonder what they mean by horrible conditions.


I guess CNN veiws "trying to force him to confess to a crime" as being a horrible condition.

[S14DB]

When I first came across this story on CNN a few weeks ago? I was kinda shocked but when I found out he had a wife in the states with kids close to if not the same age?I started smelling a rat that was not telling the full story.

Probably why the Mainstream media didn't run with the story.

[mrmephistopheles]

From what I have heard Japanese jails are not bad at all, especially when you are a foreigner, so I wonder what they mean by horrible conditions.

I guess CNN veiws "trying to force him to confess to a crime" as being a horrible condition.

In Japan, when you go to jail, you watch anime all day, work on your car at night, and have an internet relationship with a real girl. Also, there are puppies and kittens and rainbows and sunshine.

Do some research, plz. It's not a Mexican prison, for sure, but it's not like it's easy either.

[ronmcdon]

Trying to force anyone into confessing a crime isn't good no matter how you look at it.
That's actually pretty barbaric for a supposedly developed nation.

[Matej]

In Japan, when you go to jail, you watch anime all day, work on your car at night, and have an internet relationship with a real girl. Also, there are puppies and kittens and rainbows and sunshine.

Do some research, plz. It's not a Mexican prison, for sure, but it's not like it's easy either.
Know a guy who knew a guy who knows a guy whose cousin's friend's brother spent time in jail over in Japan.
Said he stayed in hotels that were worse than the jail, and everyone treated him with respect because they were afraid of him.

[Touge Noob S13]

In Japan, when you go to jail, you watch anime all day, work on your car at night, and have an internet relationship with a real girl. Also, there are puppies and kittens and rainbows and sunshine.

Do some research, plz. It's not a Mexican prison, for sure, but it's not like it's easy either.

Trying to force anyone into confessing a crime isn't good no matter how you look at it.
That's actually pretty barbaric for a supposedly developed nation.

Sign me up for a couple of days in a Japanese jail (jk)

I never said that forcing someone to confess a crime is a good thing. I was simply stating what the article said that was horrible about Japanese jails.

[fliprayzin240sx]

Japanese Prison = Fish head soup

Besides that, you can kiss a fucking lawyer good-bye as a gaijin...you get treated worst than anybody else who waltz in that shit hole. No, Embassy cant do shit for you, you sit your ass there till they release you or charge you. They can hold you upto 20 something days without formally charging you anything.

Japanese Law states that when the parents divorce, one of them will get full custody. Even the law doesnt say who but due to Japanese Customs, its almost always the mother who gets the kids.

Lastly, this isnt the only guy whos in this pickle in the last 3 weeks. There is another guy who did the same exact shit as this guy. Only difference between the 2 of them, this other guy is a Dual citizen Japanese-American. Wanna know how he got treated? Same fucking way, sitting in jail waiting to get charged. But guess whats gonna happen...Japanese court's gonna play "Who got the Round Eye" game. The Japanese guy will probably be released and told stay the fuck away from your ex-wife and kids, the American guy will probably bend over, grab his ankles and get fucked with no vaseline.

[imotion s14]

the American guy will probably bend over, grab his ankles and get fucked with no vaseline.

I doubt he'd feel anything.. am I rite? :squint:

[kyoru]

I doubt he'd feel anything.. am I rite? :squint:

LMAO! Wow...interesting story though, the guy is effed though since he went over to Japan to get them

[sentiumprogram]

I'm sure there's more going on in that family beyond the incident itself. The guy makes it look like he's all victimized, but you dont hear the other side of the story .. He probably deserved it. the kids dont deserve that drama.. But i bet that guy did something to make the ex wife do something like that.

[ronmcdon]

Sign me up for a couple of days in a Japanese jail (jk)

I never said that forcing someone to confess a crime is a good thing. I was simply stating what the article said that was horrible about Japanese jails.

no argument there.
I wasn't contesting the actual hospitality of Japanese institutions.
I'm just appalled by their policy of forcing ppl to confess to crimes they didn't do.

[HyperTek]

whats the divorce rate in japan? i think we need some of their laws over here lol jk.

So these people want japan to change their laws just because a couple of american guys got fucked over when their exs took the kids? lol

Moral of the story: Dont pick on foreign girls, stick to asian american lol

[ronmcdon]

Well of course anyone would want any law (or any given circumstance) in their favor.
However, if the law really works the way Zilvia experts claim, then it is pretty controversial.
It's just primitive regardless to assume the mother should get full custody, without taking into consideration other circumstances.

There is also the question that most likely US law was broken.
The mother could have commited the felony of kidnapping as well in the US.
Had the mother say, stole $200k in the US, you can bet she would be sent back for trial.

It's pretty a complicated legal scenario.