No, promising to sign the Hague Convention does not mean that Japanese society has changed its views on how abduction cases should be handled. International parental kidnapping is NOT considered a crime in Japan if the kidnapper is Japanese, If a non-Japanese tries to get his/ her child back from an abduction, THAT is treated as a crime and is subject to arrest by Japanese police, regardless of which parent has custody.
So... if Japan signs the Hague Convention, Madame Secretary,THEN the US will have stronger leverage, THEN the Japanese government completely revamps its judicial system, THEN the Japanese society will completely transform itself, demanding resolution of all pending cases, THEN all the kidnapped kids go back to their left-behind parents... THEN all will be well.
Uh.... yeah.
beecave 11 months ago