Japan Today
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Source: http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=3&id=352979
FUKUOKA — A 47-year-old lawyer and former assistant judge at the Kobe and Fukuoka District Courts has been arrested on suspicion of abducting his eldest daughter.
Masanori Watanabe is alleged to have abducted the 9-year-old elementary school girl at Nishitetsutakamiya train station in Fukuoka at 7:15 a.m. on Oct 4, while she was on her way to school. Also arrested for assisting in abduction was Watanabe's father, Harumi, 73, who drove the girl back to his house in Nagoya, where they were ultimately found by the police.
On the day of the abduction, Watanabe was due in the Fukuoka Family Court in an appeal over custody. According to the Fukuoka Prefectural Police, Watanabe and his former wife had been involved in a divorce and custody lawsuit. In a Supreme Court ruling last year, custody of the child was awarded to Watanabe's former wife.
In October, immediately following the divorce, the mother's parents adopted the daughter. The Fukuoka police are reportedly planning to arrest two private detectives for complicity in the abduction. (Compiled from news reports)