An Australian journalist living in Japan has been given a suspended sentence on charges of trespassing at the home of his estranged in-laws while searching for his children.<\/p>\n
Scott McIntyre says he has not seen his children since May, when his relationship broke down.<\/p>\n
He spent more than a month in jail before the case went to trial.<\/p>\n
It is the latest case to highlight Japan’s lack of joint custody laws, rare among developed countries.<\/p>\n
Mr McIntyre – a former football journalist for Australia’s SBS network – was arrested in November, a month after allegedly entering the common area of the apartment building where his in-laws live.<\/p>\n
He has apologised for his actions but said he just wanted to check his children were safe after Typhoon Hagibis hit Japan the month before.<\/p>\n
Mr McIntyre has accused his wife of abducting their two children – now aged 11 and eight – in May and severing contact. His former partner has accused him of violence, which he denies.<\/p>\n
He said he was kept in a cell with the lights on and was only allowed to bathe infrequently.<\/p>\n
“This penalty should not be taken lightly,” presiding judge Yuichi Tada said, handing down the six-month prison sentence, suspended for three years.<\/p>\n
“However, the area [Mr McIntyre gained access to] was a common area and he did not use force. He has no criminal record and promised this court that he would not do it again.”<\/p>\n
Speaking outside court, Mr McIntyre said: “All I and other parents want is for Japan to join the civilised world and institute a system of joint custody.”<\/p>\n
“I am here on behalf of all those abducted children who don’t have a voice. This is not a way for a modern society to operate. Children deserve two parents.”<\/p>\n
Source: bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"