[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 14356]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                BRINGING ABDUCTED AMERICAN CHILDREN HOME

  (Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I recently learned of 
a situation concerning a constituent of mine, Randy Collins, whose ex-
wife abducted their son and went to Japan. The last time Randy Collins 
saw his son, Keisuke Christian Collins, was on June 15, 2008.
  According to the United States State Department's Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Overseas Citizens Services, the United States has 
received notices of 73 cases of parental abductions involving 104 
children just for the country of Japan.
  Unfortunately, many people are not aware of the severity of this 
situation and how it affects so many American lives. Once taken to 
Japan, American parents are unable to see their children because 
parental visitation rights are not recognized, they are not protected 
by Japan, and abduction by one parent is not considered a crime.
  As an ally of the United States, I urge the Government of Japan to 
sign the 1980 Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child 
Abduction and respect the rights of our American parents.

                          ____________________