Australian parents whose Japanese former spouses have abducted their children are demanding urgent action from both governments as years pass without any contact.
Parents warn Tokyo’s two-year delay in implementing new laws could trigger a “dash to the finish line” to abduct more children.
Dozens of Australian parents and children have been caught in this outdated,cruel system. Now the Japanese government has finally relented.
Australian parents of children abducted by their ex-partners in Japan say watershed reforms enabling joint custody don’t address the root cause of the issue.
Dozens of children,including at least 89 with Australian parents,have been abducted in Japan by one parent under a century-old law.
The Australian government has launched an unprecedented intervention in Japan’s domestic politics.
The number of Australian children abducted in Japan has jumped by almost 10 per cent in the past year.
Parents of abducted children say Japan’s proposed changes do not go far enough.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong and opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said they wanted children to be reunited with their Australian families.
In Japan,Australian parents live with the daily fear of their partner taking their children. The Australian government has stepped up its campaign for Japan to reform its family law system.