More than a year since French national Vincent Fichot staged a hunger strike to highlight his separation from his children, his Japanese wife finally broke her silence Wednesday, claiming she cannot allow visits due to a lack of mutual trust.
The Fichot case has made headlines domestically and internationally, drawing media attention over what was seen as a tragic case of a father not being able to see his children ever since his wife disappeared with them in 2018 due to a failed relationship.
But the wife, who did not reveal her real name due to privacy concerns, told the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan that she fled because Fichot had been threatening her, and that she wanted to discuss the situation in a quiet environment that wouldn’t disrupt the children’s daily routines.