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February 18, 2010

8 Missionaries Freed in Haiti, Return to US
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Eight of the ten American missionaries jailed in Haiti have returned to
the United States. On Wednesday, a Haitian judge cleared the
missionaries of child kidnapping charges stemming from their arrest for
trying to leave the country with a busload of children following last
month’s earthquake. The judge cited testimony from the children’s
parents that they had handed over their children voluntarily. Defense
attorney Aviol Fleurant praised the decision.

Aviol Fleurant: “The judge has just decided to release eight of the ten
American missionaries, because there is evidence they are all innocent.
After hearing, questioning the parents of the kids, the ten parents that
talked to the judge, that they gave the children voluntarily.”

Two of the missionaries remain behind bars. They are under investigation
for allegations around their efforts to seek out Haitian children for
adoption before the quake struck.



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