Thai Mother Disappears in Japan After Traveling with 12-Year-Old Daughter
Daughter Forced to Work at Illegal Massage Parlor, Reports Abuse to Japanese Authorities
Mother Detained in Taiwan; Thai Police Prioritize Extradition to Japan
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Image of Kabukicho, Tokyo, a representative entertainment district in Japan, unrelated to the article content. Pexels
The whereabouts of a Thai mother who left her 12-year-old daughter behind at an illegal massage parlor in Japan have been revealed. The woman is reportedly in custody in Taiwan on charges related to prostitution.
According to Kyodo News and TV Asahi on November 18 (local time), the Thai police announced their intention to extradite the mother of the girl, who had been forced to work at an illegal massage parlor in Tokyo, from Taiwan to Japan. The mother is currently the subject of an arrest warrant in Japan for violating the Child Welfare Act, as she is accused of handing her daughter over to the operator of the illegal massage parlor. TV Asahi reported, "The mother is currently being held in Taiwan on separate charges related to a prostitution case."
The Thai police are also investigating the mother on suspicion of human trafficking in connection with this case. However, the Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police stated on November 18, "If the mother is not extradited from Taiwan to Japan, we are coordinating to have her repatriated to Thailand." It has also been reported that there are plans to repatriate the 12-year-old girl currently in Japan back to Thailand.
The Thai mother and daughter entered Japan in late June on a 15-day short-term stay visa. It was the girl's first visit to Japan, and she did not speak Japanese. In mid-July, after the mother left Japan, the girl was left alone and was forced to live and work in a room provided by the illegal massage parlor. She reportedly received only a small amount of money for food expenses. About three months after entering the country, in mid-September, the girl went to the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau and reported that she was being forced to work, which brought the case to light. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is treating this as a potential case of human trafficking and has arrested the operator of the parlor on suspicion of violating labor standards laws. The 51-year-old male suspect is accused of employing a child under the age of 15 as a worker. Although the business claimed to be a "massage specialty shop," it is reported that inappropriate services were provided to some customers.
In an interview with Japan's public broadcaster NHK on November 11, the girl's grandmother said she hopes her granddaughter will return home safely as soon as possible. NHK visited a village in northern Thailand where the girl grew up and met with the grandmother who lived with her until she left for Japan. The grandmother explained that the girl's mother went to work in Bangkok and abroad to support the family. She said, "My daughter started working in the construction industry when she was 16. When she was 17 or 18, her friends encouraged her to work in the massage business." The grandmother said she was unaware that her granddaughter had been forced into prostitution in Japan. She also said she left her granddaughter in Japan because she could not afford a plane ticket to bring her back to Thailand, but plans to bring her home as soon as she has the money. The case has attracted significant attention in Thailand, and local media have reported the possible involvement of organized brokers.
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