Americans Detained in Haiti - Frauds?

[K0RGR]

As the parent of two international adoptees, if these people are as crooked as it begins to look they are, I hope they get to spend a long, long time in a cold, dark prison, preferrably in Haiti.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/world/americas/03orphans.html?th&emc=th

The fact is, international trafficking in children for adoption is a huge industry. Only licensed, established adoption agencies should be allowed to do international adoptions. There are more than enough legitimate agencies out there. Every time a gang of creeps like this crawls out of the underbrush, it does great damage to the efforts of the legitimate agencies, and to families who have adopted overseas.

I'll tell you from personal experience that it's not a great thing when your kids come home from school, and they want to know how much you paid for them, because their friends read a story about one of these pirate groups stealing children to sell to Americans. Shortly after we left Guatemala with our kids, an American woman was beaten to death by a mob, because of a rumor that she was there to steal children to be used as 'body parts' for transplant surgeries in the U.S..

[WB3JLA]

Gee

looks like I was right about them BIBLE THUMPERS

But I was told to shut up

[W5HTW]

This will probably wind up in PJ.

But I agree. If these Thumpers want to help adopt children there are a few hundred thousand here in the USA that could use the help.

Whether these people are frauds or misguided Thumpers, I have no idea, but either way, they are where they should be, trying to get kids with parents out of Haiti for adopting here in the USA. And yeah, there would be money involved.

Even if it worked, after Haiti rebuilds, those parents would probably want their kids back, and so becomes an international court fight.

Why our Thumpers have to go interfere in other countries' affairs is beyond me. We can help them rebuild, help them with food, medical care, money. But we have zero right to smuggle kids out and that is precisely what this group was doing - smuggling. Trafficking in children.

Ed

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[W5WPL]

I don't know if they are frauds. I do know that last year when I had to go to Boise to drive a U-Haul back to Tx for me sister. The Pastor of that Church sent people over to help load the truck.

[K0RGR]

Well, the church may be legit - but these folks were planning to open a resort for adoptive parents to use when they came to the Dominican Republic for the required waiting period. That doesn't sound to me like a typical church activity.

It's also entirely possible that there are other little shakedowns going on here - the parents and the Haitian government may have known exactly what was going on, and are looking for something in return.

I don't know if Haiti has adopted the new U.N. regulations on 'orphans', but in any case, they certainly did not do any of the things that those regulations would require.

If they are tried in the U.S., I would wager that they'll get off.

[N2RJ]

I think that rushing to export all of their adoptable children to other countries is a big mistake.

What happens when Haiti recovers and wants to build an economy, and their young people are all overseas?

[N7RJD]

Gee

looks like I was right about them BIBLE THUMPERS

But I was told to shut up

Last time though you said "Bible Thumbers." I was thinking Holy Hitchhikers. :D:D

[K0RGR]

I think that rushing to export all of their adoptable children to other countries is a big mistake.

What happens when Haiti recovers and wants to build an economy, and their young people are all overseas?

Actually, that's become an issue in some countries. Guatemala recently complained that too high a percentage of their youth are being raised in the U.S. as orphans. I see that over 4,000 from there were adopted last year. And, that's after both Guatemala and the U.S. made it much tougher to adopt from there. Gee, I thought we were a little unique.

Actually, most countries are putting the brakes on foreign adoption. Our country as well as many others have made the process much more difficult.

Our kids were 'special needs' kids with serious medical issues. They were also somewhat older than what most adoptive parents desire. In-country adoption was not an option for these two. So, I think it worked out pretty well for them.

[W5HTW]

And the news gets even worse for the ten Americans. Though better for the Haitan legal system.

It turns out the leader has a rather extensive history of going around the law back in the US. It would lead me to think she believes she is right no matter where she is and what the law says. Including back in the USA.

This could cost her heavily, but it may also cost her associates nearly as much. They are facing a maximum sentence of 15 years in a Haitan prison, and the US declines to interfere. Leave it up to Haiti, where the crime, if there is one, occurred.

From what I see now, though I admit I don't know all the facts, I hope Haiti throws them in jail for at least a year or two. However, we may learn more as this goes to trial, and I may have to revise my opinon. For now, though, I see them as probably guilty of trafficking and misleading not only the Haitians, but their own church people back in Idaho. And it appears it was for personal profit, as they were setting up a for-fee adopting resort in the Dominican Republic.

But we shall see, as time goes along and more evidence is presented. I hope, however, the US really does stay out of it, and lt Haiti do their own thing.

Ed
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