Mary Troyan, USA TODAY 12:38 p.m. EDT June 12, 2015(Photo: ASBURY PARK PRESS FILE PHOTO)
WASHINGTON – A new law meant to pressure countries to return children abducted from the U.S. by a parent isn’t being implemented properly, according to a Tennessee man whose ex-wife took the couple’s children to Japan six years ago.Christopher Savoie, who lived in Franklin when his children were taken in 2009, told a House subcommittee on Thursday that State Department officials don’t advocate aggressively enough for parents victimized in such scenarios.”Their primary mandate, as they see it, is to maintain good relations with strategic allies such as Japan,” Savoie said. “And this is in direct conflict with the interests of our children.”The Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act requires the State Department to track such parental abductions, identify countries with unresolved cases, and employ sanctions against those with poor records.Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., questioned the accuracy of the first State Department compliance report. It does not include Japan among offenders, even though the country has about 50 unresolved cases.
This is a VERY typical attitude not just by this administration – other countries break the Convention, that THEY agreed to, and the US State Department simply sweeps these cases under the rug. Sometimes for political expediency, sometimes because of simple “we-don’t-care” attitude, but always asking for more funding. I hope rep. Chris Smith and others put some fire under the responsible bureaucrats in Washington. They should care more about living American Children, then pirated Hollywood DVDs.
BTW, President Obama is SO CONCERNED about children of illegals from Mexico and Honduras, as well as the new trade agreement with Asian countries, but about abducted children? I guess, this doesn’t fit his agenda and legacy.
Link to the entire article included below. Please visit and read.
Source: Manalapan man adds testimony to Congressional abduction case