Florida Child Abduction Act Passes House Committee: Parents Of Over 200 U.S. Children Criminally Held In Japan Rally In D.C.

As Florida’s House Of Representative ‘Policy Council’ Unanimously Passes today the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ bill, the loving parents of over 200 criminally abducted children still in Japan are rallying this weekend in Washington DC in conjunction with the Cherry Blossom Festival, urging Japan to release their wrongfully detained children.

If Florida’s lawmakers needed to see first-hand the importance of Representative Darryl Rouson’s sponsored ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ bill, all that is needed is for these policymakers to look into the eyes or listen to the voices of the fathers and mothers of ‘Bring Abducted Children Home’ who are uniting and rallying this weekend in Washington, D.C. to demonstrate their disapproval and anger over Japan’s refusal to return over 200 United States children-citizens – many their own children – who were criminally detained in Japan.

Perhaps the lawmakers who sat on child advocate Representative Llorente’s ‘Policy Council’ had considered the fact that Japan has never returned an abducted child to the United States, when they unanimously voted on advancing Carolyn Ann Vlk’s authored ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ bill.

Next up for this critical bill that if made into law would allow courts to consider risk factors associated with a potential parental child abduction and to order remedies that would prevent such abduction from occurring, is for the House’s ‘Criminal and Justice Council’, to vote on the bill this Tuesday, April 13th, 2010. The council is chaired by Representative Snyder, who is known to be a defender and protector of children.

Representative Darryl Rouson, a lawmaker with a long and impressive history of advocating for children everywhere commented, “I am extremely pleased with the leadership that came out of Chairman Llorente’s ‘Policy Council’ this morning. Today marks the fifth legislative committee that the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ bill passed unanimously. Most of us policymakers in Tallahassee are parents or grandparents – we realize just how important it is to create laws that not only will protect our children, but will also protect the parents of our children who act in the best interest of our children. Prevention law is critical – and all you have to do is look at Washington, D.C. today and hear the pain in the voices of all of those loving parents who have had their children criminally abducted to Japan. And not one of our U.S. citizens has been returned home? This is beyond unthinkable. My prayers are with these illegally detained children and their parents as they fight the necessary fight to bring abducted children home! And this is why we, the lawmakers in Florida need to continue our expedite action of making the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ bill a law.”

Peter Thomas Senese, the author of the critically acclaimed ‘Chasing The Cyclone’ and producer of the groundbreaking documentary film ‘Chasing Parents’ said, “I am very pleased to see Representative Llorente’s leadership today as the ‘Policy Council’ passed unanimously the landmark bill my friend Carolyn Vlk authored. This bill will prevent many child abductions in Florida from happening. And by Florida demonstrating leadership, new laws will be passed in other states that will prevent abductions from occurring there. And that is why we’re all doing what we’re doing: to protect our innocent children from experiencing the cruelty of parental child abduction. As Representative Rouson pointed out, all you need to understand the nightmare that occurs in most every case is to look at the ordeal the parents of ‘Bring Abducted Children Home’ are doing this weekend in Washington, D.C. I mean, how could we not have preventive laws in place when countries like Japan have never returned a criminally parentally abducted child regardless if the abductor is a Japanese national or not? We need these laws, and we need them now. Fortunately, Representative Rouson realized that and acted. Unfortunately though, if lawmakers and the public in general had understood the reality of these types of abduction crimes, I am certain preventive laws would have been passed earlier, and parents like my friend William Lake, a Florida resident, would not be in D.C. protesting Japan’s shameful behavior. And on that note, I want to urge the public to look for and support the members of BAC Home who will be rallying this weekend during the Cherry Blossom Festival. They really need all the support they can receive.”

The cases of international abduction are endless. Each is different, yet they all have common threads that tie them together. Two of these threads are that a child that has been criminally abducted is removed from the child’s jurisdiction of habitual residency. The other is that the loving Chasing Parents left behind in the wake of their child’s abduction have limited resources available to bring their children home. Examples of this include loving parent Nigel Lewis’ pursuit of his abducted children Jasmyn and Cody, or Captain William Lake’s pursuit of his daughter Mary Victoria, or Commander Paul Toland’s desire to see his daughter Erika, or Doug Berg’s vigilance and endless effort to reunite with his children Gunnar and Kianna. Look at the action of Chris Savoie, who attempted to rescue his children Isaac and Rebecca, or the tragedy that Richard Wood faces in dealing with his daughter Tytiana, and son, Byron’s return. Sadly, the list goes on.

Brett Weed, the Vice President of Children’s Rights Council – Oregon Chapter and a Chasing Parent left staring at Japan’s black hole said, “According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 16: “The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.” Both countries involved in international cases of abduction are in violation of this article if uncompromising efforts are not made in the recovery efforts of an abducted child.”

T. Miklia, another Chasing Parent said, “How much longer will the loss of U.S. children be considered good international policy and an acceptable by-product of U.S./Japan relations?”

Carolyn Ann Vlk, the author of ‘The Child Abduction Prevention Act’ sponsored by Representative Rouson and Senator Sobel added, “My heart breaks in learning of the tragedy after tragedy that each of these and many other parents must endure in the face of having a child abducted, particularly across international borders. I can’t imagine what it would be like to wake up every day and not see my child, who was an at-risk child. I hope and imagine that the lawmakers here in my state of Florida are not only listening to the voices of the loving parents in our state who are urging for this critical piece of legislation to be made into law, but I hope they hear the voices and see the faces of our friends in Washington this weekend. Surely, they will come to realize that the issue of parental child abduction is global in nature and perhaps more complex and heartbreaking than they could ever imagine. I urge the lawmakers in my wonderful state to pass the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ bill and share with the world that the crime of parental child abduction will not be tolerated in our state, and in civilized nations, for that matter. And finally, if you’re in Washington over the coming days, please take the time to visit the parents from ‘Bring Abducted Children Home’. They need your support. Their children desperately need your support.”

For more information on the Florida ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’, please visit www.floridachildabductionpreventinact.info. For more information on Bring Abducted Children Home, please visit www.bachome.org. For more information on ‘Chasing The Cyclone’, Peter Thomas Senese, or international parental child abduction, please visit www.chasingthecyclone.com.

'Chasing The Cyclone' Provides Great Insight Into Child Abduction. Florida Lawmakers Grasp New Book As Prevention Legislation Grows

Author, Filmmaker, and Children’s Advocate Peter Thomas Senese is a successful Chasing Parent committed to raising society’s awareness on the dangers that exist when a child is abducted by one parent from another. In the United States, it is estimated that approximately 400,000 parental child abductions occur each year, with an estimated 10,000 of these abduction crimes against defenseless children being international in nature. Tragically, many internationally abducted children are never returned. Too many are lost forever.

The arsenal of skillfully crafted and riveting tools the outspoken children’s advocate has created in order to educate others about the travesty of child abduction include the critically acclaimed upcoming worldwide publication of Chasing The Cyclone and the release of the now completed groundbreaking documentary film Chasing Parents: Racing Into The Storms Of International Parental Child Abduction. Both book and film will be released in multiple languages, including French and Spanish.

In commenting about the growing success of Chasing The Cyclone and Chasing Parents: Racing Into The Storms Of International Parental Child Abduction, Peter Thomas Senese stated, “When I wrote Chasing The Cyclone and when I produced the film Chasing Parents I did so with one goal in mind, and that was to be able to create thoughtful, provoking, and highly educational entertainment vehicles that would shake the tree and raise global awareness on the terrible and dangerous plight of innocent children and targeted parents who must unexpectedly race into some of the darkest, and at times, deadliest storms you could ever imagine once a child is abducted, particularly across international borders. But education in itself was not my specific goal – the real target was to be able to use these products in order to assist in changing the legal landscape for children and victimized parents. This meant to strongly participate in the dialogue of creating laws that would serve our nation’s children.

“International Parental Child Abduction is no joke. It is a growing worldwide epidemic that could be halted in its tracks if two critical actions unilaterally take place. Critically, the first is that preventive laws must be established that would enable local courts of jurisdiction the opportunity to assess risk factors and act accordingly before an international parental child abduction occurs. The second task is that all nations must be held accountable for harboring parental child abductors who steal children across international borders either as a direct breach of the Hague Convention or as a direct violation of laws originating from the child’s place of original jurisdiction.”

Peter Thomas Senese has been one of the main orchestrators behind the advancement of Florida’s lawmakers to pass the state’s Child Abduction Prevention Act written by advocate Carolyn Ann Vlk, and sponsored by Representative Darryl Rouson and Senator Eleanor Sobel. Presently, The legislation has passed unanimously through two Senate Committees and one House Committee. The bill is expected to be placed before to legislative councils for review in the coming week. Over the past month, Senese has provided members of both Florida’s Senate and House of Representatives with copies of Chasing The Cyclone, and, has directed many legislators and their aides to the Chasing The Cyclone website, where they have been able to view the specifically created educational segments of Chasing Parents: Racing Into The Storms Of International Parental Child Abduction.

“It has been very satisfying to know that the true intent in creating Chasing The Cyclone and producing Chasing Parents – which was to inform lawmakers on the real challenges of child abduction, and offer solutions that could reduce the number of crimes against our children is actually having the impact I envisioned and hoped for when I first set out to create these tools. Having spent substantial time in person or on the telephone with Florida’s policymakers and their legislative aides, it is truly gratifying to learn that people are paying attention to the works I have created. And it is most pleasing to see the number of online viewers based in Tallahassee who have spent time watching the educational documentary film I and Ken Connelly – who was a victim of abduction and is one of our lead advocates on this bill – have created. And though we know we, along with Captain William Lake and Carolyn Ann Vlk all know we have a long way to go and a short time to get there before this bill becomes law, it is satisfying to know that my efforts may be making a difference. And make no mistake, the goal is high: It is to create law that will protect our children.”

Carolyn Ann Vlk, Florida’s Child Abduction Prevention Act and chief architect added, “The assistance of Peter Thomas Senese, the author of the critically acclaimed Chasing The Cyclone, and the producer/narrator of Chasing Parents: Racing Into The Storms of International Parental Child Abduction, to bring this legislation to the forefront of Florida’s legislators has been immeasurable. Peter Thomas’ professionalism, dedication, organization, commitment, and skills as a writer, speaker, filmmaker, and advocate has had a far-reaching effect. Whether it was sending a vast number of Florida’s lawmakers copies of ‘Chasing The Cyclone’, or directing them to view the documentary film on abduction, ‘Chasing Parents’, or creating the bill’s website, or flying into Tallahassee to speak before our legislative government, or paying for airline tickets so other advocates can petition our Senators and Representatives, Peter Thomas Senese has been open, fully committed, and unselfish. His willingness to share his personal story as that of a chasing parent while recovering his own child has touched the hearts of many, including the legislators he has met or communicated with. I am eternally grateful for his dedication, his ability to educate our lawmakers by providing them with copies of Chasing The Cyclone and creating the documentary Chasing Parents – all have played a significant role in creating further understanding for our lawmakers. I deeply respect his commitment to assist with the implementation of a law that will prevent other families from experiencing the tragedy of child abduction. Peter Thomas Senese’ impact has been far reaching.

The Author of Throwing Stones, the landmark book on child abduction written from the eyes of an abducted child, Mr. Ken Connelly stated, “Peter Thomas Senese, is a Chasing Parent who unexpectedly entered the world of international parental child abduction. However, working through The Hague Courts, Peter successfully reunited with his child. The obstacles he faced were extraordinary, but Peter Thomas Senese did what he needed to in order to protect his son, and bring him home. When considering the remarkable act of reunification, what stands out just as impressive is how Peter Thomas Senese, realizing just how fortunate he and his own son were, decided to try and make a difference for others by educating society on the dangers and difficulties all parties face when a parental child abduction occurs. So he has created several valuable tools for other parents that presently are or may one day have to deal with parental child abduction. This includes writing the powerful and impactful book Chasing The Cyclone penned under Peter Thomas, and which I highly recommend. In producing CHASING PARENTS: Racing Into The Storms Of International Parental Child Abduction, Peter consulted with me on numerous occasions with respect to all aspects of this film, including the perspective and needs of a child who was abducted. It was out intent to be able to increase the public’s understanding on abduction, and help change the legal environment responsible for overseeing the best interest of children.”

Peter Thomas Senese, the father who dropped everything and chased into the cyclones of abduction and after his own child said, “If you are a parent chasing after your child, you must know hope, know faith, and allow the love you have for your child or children to fuel you. And never, never give up in the belief that you will bring your child home.”

Chasing The Cyclone, the thrilling, gut-wrenching, and gripping love story of a father and his son, penned under Peter Thomas, and praised by critiques as a book all loving parents or individuals who hope to have children must read, will be released in hardcover wherever books are sold on June 1st, 2010. Chasing Parents: Racing Into The Storms Of International Parental Child Abduction, the documentary film on international parental child abduction, will be released in late June, and will be made complimentary of charge to all courts, legislators, and children advocacy organizations involved with child abduction courtesy of Pacifica TWST.

For more information please visit www.chasingthecyclone.com