This archive report was first published on 10 July 2021.
July 10, 2021 - Tokyo, Japan - A French father's desperate plea for justice has taken a drastic turn as he embarked on a hunger strike in Tokyo, Japan. Vincent Fichot, 39, has been fighting for three years to be reunited with his children, a six-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl, who were allegedly abducted by their Japanese mother.
Speaking to AFP, Fichot expressed his determination to continue the hunger strike until his children are returned to him. 'I've given everything, I've lost my job, my house, and my savings in the last three years. I weigh 80 kilograms now, and I'll give it all until the very last gram,' he said.
Fichot, who has lived in Japan for 15 years, claims that his wife accused him of domestic violence in court, but later retracted the claim. He believes that the Japanese justice system has failed him and his children.
Joint custody of children in cases of divorce or separation does not exist legally in Japan, where parental abductions are common and often tolerated by local authorities. Rights groups estimate that around 150,000 minors are forcibly separated from a parent every year in Japan.
Fichot's situation is not unique, as many bi-national children face similar challenges in Japan. He has now turned to the French state and international bodies for help, and plans to continue his hunger strike day and night.
