HOME  Abducted Kids-Photos/Info  Nov. 6, 2006-Capitol Hill  Nov. 20, 2006 Protest  SHF Articles  Apr. 27, 2007 PHOTOS  9/17/07 Kyodo Article

PHOTOS April 27, 2007 Children's Rights Council of Japan National Press Club Conference and Candlelight Vigil at Japanese Embassy Some of the conference participants and attendees gather beforehand, including left-behind fathers Patrick Braden (far left) and Michael Gulbraa (far right), Susan Rohol of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (second from left), Jessica Sarra of the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (third from left), and David Levy, CEO of Children's Rights Council (third from right). David Levy and Walter Benda, co-founder of Children's Rights Council of Japan and organizer of the conference. CRC of Japan's Registration and Information Table, National Press Club Zenger Room. Walter Benda, co-founder of Children's Rights Council of Japan, whose 2 U.S. citizen daughters were abducted in 1995. Michael Gulbraa, whose son, Chris, has recently reunited with him in the U.S. Michael's older son is still in Japan. Chris Gulbraa takes questions from the audience about his experiences as an abducted child in Japan, and the difficulties he encountered when trying to return home to his father in the U.S. Paul Toland, a U.S. Navy Commander, whose American daughter was abducted while Paul was serving his country overseas in Japan. Patrick Braden, whose daughter was abducted from California to Japan. Working together, Patrick Braden and Walter Benda obtained a letter from Senator Barbara Boxer addressed to President Bush, calling on him to bring up the Japanese international child abduction issue in his talks with Prime Minister Abe of Japan. John Crouch, a Virginia attorney handling international family law cases, including cases involving Japan. One of his clients is a Japanese mother living in the U.S. whose American husband has abducted their children to Japan and is not allowing access between the children and their mother. David Levy becomes the first signatory to Children's Rights Council of Japan's petition calling upon Japan to cooperate on international child abduction issues. American parents with children in Japan gathered with other family members and friends and supporters to conduct a candlelight vigil in front of the Japanese Embassy on April 27. Candlelight vigil participants ranged in age from 9 to over 80, and included five left-behind parents, one left-behind grandmother, two left-behind uncles, as well as a left-behind brother, step-brother, and step-mother.