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Parents Come to Reclaim Children in Haiti Child-Smuggling Dispute

   The  children  were  picked  up  last  week  by a group of 10 American
   Christian  missionaries  who  allegedly  tried  to smuggle them out of
   Haiti

   VOA News 02 February 2010

   The international aid group caring for 33 Haitian children involved in
   a  child-smuggling  dispute says the parents of the children have come
   to reclaim them.
   The  children  were  picked  up  last  week  by a group of 10 American
   Christian missionaries who allegedly tried to smuggle the children out
   of  quake-struck  Haiti  in  an  unauthorized  international  adoption
   scheme.
   The  group  said  they  were  taking  the  children to an orphanage in
   neighboring  Dominican  Republic.  However,  some of the children said
   they had living parents.
   In  an  interview  on  U.S.  television  NBC  Tuesday, the head of SOS
   Children's  Villages, Heather Paul, said parents are now showing up to
   be reunited with their children.
   The   case   has   reignited  fears  that  Haitian  orphans  or  those
   misidentified as orphans will fall victim to child trafficking.  Haiti
   has suspended adoptions as a result.
   U.N.  human rights experts warned that the increased insecurity in the
   country  following the January 12 earthquake has left many children at
   risk  of  being  abducted,  enslaved,  sold  or trafficked.  They said
   protecting children must be at the heart of relief operations.
   The  Americans  in  question  were from a charity based in the western
   U.S.  state  of  Idaho  calling itself the New Life Children's Refuge.
   Laura  Silsby,  who  leads  the charity, has denied any wrongdoing and
   said her group was well-intentioned.
   A  U.S.  reporter who visited the village where supposedly many of the
   33  children  are  from,  said some of the parents admitted to handing
   over their kids in hopes of giving them a better a life.
   The  group  is  in  police  custody and could appear in court Tuesday,
   where  it  will  be  determined  if  they are to be charged with child
   trafficking and kidnapping offenses.
   U.S.  State  Department  spokesman P.J. Crowley said that for now, the
   case  remains  firmly in Haitian hands.  He said an appropriate course
   of action will be taken once all the facts are known.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP.

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