EU Lawmakers Urge Japan to End Parental Child ‘Abductions’

Frenchman Vincent Fichot and Italian Tommaso Perina, who both became estranged from their children after their Japanese wives took them without consent, pose for Reuters after presenting a petition to the European Parliament to demand action against cases of so-called parental child abduction affecting Europeans living in Japan, in Brussels, Belgium, on Feb. 19, 2020. Yves Herman/ Reuters

BRUSSELS/TOKYO—The European Parliament urged Japan to comply with international rules on child protection and to allow for joint parental custody, after a number of EU citizens were denied access to their children by Japanese mothers.

Unlike most countries, Japan does not recognise joint custody after divorce and children often lose contact with the non-custodial parent.