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Briefing by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Michele Bond on National Adoption Day

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Briefing by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Michele Bond on National Adoption Day


Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
November 20, 2009

 

MR. TONER: Good afternoon. It’s my great pleasure to introduce Deputy Assistant Secretary Michele Bond, who has been our Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Directorate for Overseas Citizens Services since July 2007. Previously, she was the Director of the Office of Policy Coordination and Public Outreach in the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, and she’s also served as the managing director of the Office of Overseas Citizens Services, so she brings a wealth of experience to her job.

 

And today, in light of National Adoption Day tomorrow, we thought it a good opportunity to have her come down and give us an update on some of the activities of our embassies vis-à-vis adoption services. So with that, I’ll introduce Deputy Assistant Secretary Bond. Thank you.

 

MS. BOND: Thank you very much. Good afternoon. As the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Overseas Citizens Services in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, I am really happy to be here this afternoon to celebrate the fact that November is National Adoption Month. There are hundreds of Department of State employees who adoptive parents, foster parents, or adult adoptees. So this is an important and personal issue for State Department staff.

 

More officially, the Department is the U.S. central authority for The Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoption, and is deeply committed to promoting and facilitating adoption as a permanent, loving alternative for children who cannot remain in their birth families.

 

As mentioned, tomorrow, November 21, is National Adoption Day. The day is being marked around the United States at courthouses where hundreds of children in foster care will have their adoptions finalized. Many U.S. embassies around the world are also celebrating National Adoption Month through their own outreach activities that emphasize the importance that the United States attaches to adoption and especially to inter-country adoption.

 

Here at the State Department, we continue to work with other countries to develop and implement standards and procedures to help ensure that as many children as possible can find permanent, loving homes. We believe that inter-country adoption can be an important option for children in need, and that every child deserves a loving home.

 

In April 2008, the United States joined more than 75 other nations as a party to The Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoption. It’s a fundamental tenant of the convention that when a child cannot be reintegrated into his or her birth family, the first option should be adoption by a family in that child’s country of origin. When that domestic adoption in the child’s country of origin is not possible, then inter-country adoption opens another opportunity for a child to find the loving home that he or she deserves.

 

The United States is committed to ensuring that all inter-country adoptions to the United States or from the United States protect each child’s fundamental rights and prevent the abduction, sale, or trafficking of children. We also encourage all countries to take the necessary steps to join and implement The Hague Inter-Country Adoption Convention. Since the convention entered into force for the United States, nearly 900 children have been adopted both into and out of the United States in accordance with Hague Convention procedures. Several thousand additional children have been adopted under non-Hague procedures because their cases had begun before The Hague went into force for us.

 

Several Hague partners have contacted our office here at the Department to discuss the interest of their citizens in adopting waiting children in U.S. foster care, an option we strongly endorse for those who have not found permanent homes in the United States. In Fiscal Year 2009, almost 13,000 foreign-born children were adopted by U.S. Citizen families. More than 70,000 domestic adoptions were completed in the United States during the same period. Adoption is more common in the United States than in any other country, and we adopt more foreign-born children than the rest of the world combined. Those are facts that we can all be proud of.

 

No matter where or in what circumstances children are born, they deserve the opportunity to grow up in a loving family. The Department of State is proud to be part of National Adoption Month and to add our own recognition and thanks to all of the families that have opened their hearts and homes through adoption. Thank you.

 

Questions? Sir.

 

QUESTION: Charley Keyes from CNN. You and I have talked in the past. What are some of the remaining problem countries in regard to U.S. adoptions? I know that the United States has voiced concerns in the past about China. Can you just bring us up to date on that?

 

MS. BOND: All right, yes. To talk about China, which I would not call a problem country as far as adoptions are concerned, but I certainly can talk about that a little bit – in Fiscal Year 2009, just over 3,000 children were adopted from China to the United States. China --

 

QUESTION: Is that the largest number among –

 

MS. BOND: No, that’s down a little bit from – oh, you mean the largest among all – I think it probably was the largest for that year, yeah.

 

QUESTION: So the largest among all countries?

 

MS. BOND: That’s right. China is a party to The Hague Adoption Convention and has been for some time, and so all adoptions now starting between China and the United States have to be under Hague procedures. The U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou estimates that it takes about 38 months to complete an adoption absent special circumstances. It is possible to complete an adoption more rapidly if the child who is being adopted has been identified as a special needs child.

 

Normally, the children, when they are adopted, are not 38 months old or older. It takes that long for the adopting family to complete the arrangements, but that doesn’t mean that the child they’re adopting was already born at the time they began the procedure. A growing number of the children now available for inter-country adoption from China are being adopted through what’s called the Waiting Child Program. They are kids who are older or they have special needs. And many American families are now pursuing this option.

 

QUESTION: Is the United States satisfied, though, that the incidents in China where some public officials were arrested for dealing in illegally obtained infants, that that’s been resolved to the United States satisfaction?

 

MS. BOND: Well, what we see is that the Chinese who have taken it very seriously are investigating, are proceeding to file charges and prosecute. The situations where we get very concerned around the world are when we can see that there’s clear evidence of a problem, and the country where it’s occurring is not taking that problem seriously – not investigating, not prosecuting. That would be a matter of concern, and that’s not the case in China.

 

QUESTION: Where might it be the case?

 

MS. BOND: Well, for example, in September of 2008, we allowed a bilateral agreement with Vietnam to expire because of our own concerns that there were very clear evidence of corruption and of bad paperwork, of falsification of children’s identities and backgrounds in order to make them available for adoption. And we couldn’t resolve the questions that were raised without the cooperation of Vietnamese officials, and we weren’t getting that cooperation.

 

QUESTION: And where does that stand – sorry, just one more – where does that stand now with Vietnam?

 

MS. BOND: At present, Vietnam has drafted a new adoption law that is being considered by their parliament. We’ve had an opportunity to talk to them and still have another – other countries that adopt from Vietnam. There’s a lot of interest in working with Vietnam to improve their procedures. And so what we see right now in Vietnam is the government moving in a very good direction, and doing so very seriously. It will, however, be quite some time before Vietnam has and has implemented a new and good adoption program.

 

I think you were first and then --

 

QUESTION: Thank you. Is there a different category as far as the adoption program concerned from India to the U.S., or are there any cases of – because I heard in the past that the – it is very difficult – somebody to bring – as far as adoption is concerned. Or is there some kind of criteria, how old one should be for adoption?

 

MS. BOND: The question has to do with adoptions from India. And we are working very closely with the Indian authorities to make sure that those adoptions that occur are taking place in full conformity with our law and Indian law. I think some of the problems that have come up have been when American citizens of Indian origin adopt in India, and without realizing that they shouldn’t, they sometimes adopt as Indian citizens instead of as Americans as foreigners.

 

And they – that procedure is different from the procedures for foreign citizens adopting Indian children. And because of various steps that they take, none of them meant to be wrong, they can sometimes find themselves in a situation where it’s very hard to process the paperwork for the child to come to the United States. So we’ve been working with Indian authorities to try to make sure that courts know that they can’t process as a local domestic adoption a situation where the child is intending to come to the United States and live here.

 

QUESTION: But as far as somebody in the U.S., whether it’s a U.S. Citizen or green card holder, it’s the same rules or it’s only U.S. Citizen can --

 

MS. BOND: You have to be a United States Citizen to adopt a foreign-born child and bring that child to the United States and --

 

QUESTION: And finally – and – I’m sorry --

 

MS. BOND: No, fine.

 

QUESTION: Finally, any age limit, how old one should be to – for adoption?

 

MS. BOND: Well, those rules are set by individual countries, and I don’t know offhand, although I can – I would like to take this opportunity to refer you to our excellent website, adoption.state.gov, which gives a great deal of information, including country-specific information of the type that you were asking.

 

QUESTION: Thank you.

 

MS. BOND: You had one in --

 

QUESTION: Yeah. Which countries do you see the sharpest increase in children ready for adoption? Is it related to conflict or poverty such as Zimbabwe?

 

MS. BOND: Well, the – one country that I could point to that had a sharp increase this year is Ethiopia, where the numbers that – it was up about 30 percent, and let me just – the – it was just over 2,200 children who were adopted this year from Ethiopia. That is not related to conflict. By and large, conflict is not one of the issues that tends to lead to a spike in adoptions, because children may be separated from their families but haven’t necessarily permanently lost those families as a result of population movements.

 

So we are watching adoptions and examining the situation in Ethiopia very carefully, because it’s a very serious concern when you – if you see the number of adoptions start to increase sharply, you want to be sure that the infrastructure if that country is equipped to monitor and carefully vet every one of those cases. Rapid growth isn’t necessarily a good thing.

 

QUESTION: You are mentioning experiences from other continents. How is the experience here in the Western Hemisphere between Latin American countries and the U.S.?

 

MS. BOND: When the United States joined The Hague Convention in April 2008, that made us a Hague partner for quite a few countries which prefer to limit their adoption interchanges with fellow – to fellow Hague countries. So there are some countries where we – American are now eligible to adopt that they might not have been before. And developing those contacts and those relationships is not something, again, that happens overnight. But I think that we may see a shift in some countries of more interest in looking for homes for children in the United States if they haven’t been able to have them adopted locally.

 

More generally, we have Guatemala, which is a country in which new adoptions cannot begin at this point. Guatemala is a Hague country and they are working to establish Hague-compliant procedures --

 

QUESTION: In Mexico?

 

MS. BOND: Mexico is a country where there are surprisingly few adoptions to the United States, and that is – it’s surprising in the sense that we have – we share such a long border. But there is a pretty strong reluctance in Mexico to allow children to be adopted by foreign families, even Mexican American families. And so by and large, the majority of the adoptions that we see are intra-family adoptions, not adoptions by people who are unrelated to the child.

 

QUESTION: On Ethiopia, you’re not entirely clear what’s causing the spike of adoptions?

 

MS. BOND: Well, I think what’s causing the spike of adoptions is that there are, first of all, many children in the country who are homeless and/or living in institutions and need homes. And there are people who are working to try to identify those children and match them with people in the United States and in other countries who are interested in adoption. Our concern about it is that you can easily find yourself in a situation where it’s difficult to tell the difference between children who genuinely don’t have a family and those who have been documented to look like they don’t.

 

And unless you have the host government with – well equipped to investigate itself, to document, to lock in the identity of these children, then it can be very hard to prevent the missed documentation of children, and situations where, for example, birth parents are coerced or persuaded to relinquish their children for money or not, but – when it’s something that they wouldn’t have considered doing if someone hadn’t been pressuring them to do it. Obviously, that’s not something that we want.

 

QUESTION: So there are some suspicions maybe that there’s a racket going on or –

 

MS. BOND: It’s something that the Ethiopian Government is carefully looking at and so are we and so is every other government whose citizens are adopting there. Ukraine, as it happens, is another country where we saw a 30 percent increase in adoptions last year. In the case of Ukraine, however, that’s not – it’s not something that we see as a trend. The numbers tend to go up and down a bit. So it can be hard to know whether you’re definitely seeing a movement in one direction or the other.

 

QUESTION: Let me just follow on quickly, if you don’t mind, please. What we want to know clearly, not just from one particular country (inaudible), let’s say from around the globe. As far as criteria for – like it’s a conflict or poverty or what causes or brings those children for adoption basically to the U.S.? Is it the regional conflicts? You are saying (inaudible) or elsewhere, war or homeless or the parents are dying and that – I mean, what are the major causes of the adoption of people (inaudible) of people, or children coming here?

 

MS. BOND: All right. The question is what are the typical reasons that children are placed for inter-country adoption. And when you talk about countries around the world, including the United States, which also has children that are adopted by foreign families and leave here to go and live in a foreign country --

 

QUESTION: Yeah. I’m sorry, let’s say India or let’s say sometimes they say – they seek asylum. What’s the difference between asylums or other adoption for children, let’s say? Are there children also in that category or for --

 

MS. BOND: Okay. Let me get to that question in a moment, if I may. The reasons that children are available for adoption by foreign citizens vary in different countries. In China, typically the reason has been that there were children, little girls, who were born and placed for adoption by families who were hoping that they might have a son.

 

And the fact is that – there was a reference in one question to age requirements and other requirements being imposed on adopting parents – the number of children available for adoption in China has diminished. And the number of people who are interested in adopting in China is much higher than the number of children that are – that need homes. And that’s one reason that the Chinese Government imposed the changes and the requirements for adopting parents. They were simply trying to reduce the pool of all well-qualified people who were applying to adopt. They had many more than they could vet and many more than they needed.

 

In some other countries, the children are in care because of local poverty. But what’s important is that in some countries, children may be placed in institutions by their families because the families know that’s a place where the children will be fed and cared for and educated. And there are countries where the families then anticipate that the children will return home when they’re a little bit older, maybe 10 or 12, old enough to contribute to the family and help their parents.

 

And so that’s one of the things that we have to be on guard against. The fact that a child is in an orphanage and has been there for some time doesn’t make him an orphan in the sense – well, in any sense, he’s not a child who needs a home. He has a family.

 

I think – I hope that that’s helpful in terms of the --

 

QUESTION: Yeah, only about asylum, if – if you had any case of the child or somebody had asked asylum for a child rather than adoption.

 

MS. BOND: The question is about whether children also come into the United States as asylees, as people who are seeking asylum from our government as opposed to adoption. Getting asylum is a very different sort of process. And in order to apply for asylum, a person has to show that he is facing some sort of persecution or threat in his own country. Typically, unaccompanied children would not be likely to apply for asylum. That would be rare.

 

MR. TONER: We have time for just one more question.

 

QUESTION: Can I just ask very quickly for you to speak in a little more detail about your comment that some other countries are approaching the United States about adopting American children? Who are those countries and how many American kids are adopted overseas?

 

MS. BOND: Since we joined The Hague, so since April of 2008, there are 71 American children who have been adopted by foreign families. Thirty-seven of those were adopted under The Hague, so that means that they were adopted to Hague partner countries and the adoption began after April 1, 2008 – the work on it, because as you know, it takes months to complete these things. So we’re still at a stage where the majority of outgoing adoptions are non-Hague, but we anticipate that they’re going to be primarily Hague.

 

The typical countries – Canada, Western Europe, Australia, countries that are our Hague partners and where local adoption opportunities are very limited, they’re very – relatively few children available for adoption. To their credit, several of the governments that have approached us have said that they are particularly interested in identifying waiting children in foster care as candidates for adoption by their citizens. They are not trying to compete for healthy newborn infants.

 

MR. TONER: Thank you very much, I appreciate it.

 

QUESTION: Thank you.
Mexico, China, Ethiopia, India, United States of America

Somalia to join child rights pact: UN

Somalia to join child rights pact: UN

Fri Nov 20, 2009 1:19pm GMT
 
United States of America, Somalia

Scandal în ograda lui ?iriac

Evadare din Poiana Soarelui
28.02.2005 (Arhiva)

 


Scandal în ograda lui ?iriac
Publicitate


O feti?? de 14 ani a fugit din Centrul Educa?ional „Poiana Soarelui“ ?i a cerut ajutorul Direc?iei pentru Protec?ia Copilului Bra?ov
* Reprezentan?ii centrului „Poiana Soarelui“ s-au opus mai bine de patru ani ca Florentina s? plece în Italia, la p?rin?ii care au adoptat-o legal

„M? numesc Goroh Florentina, sînt elev? în clasa a VII-a ?i locuiesc la Complexul Educa?ional Poiana Soarelui. V? rog s? m? ajuta?i s? locuiesc în alt? parte, pentru c? nu mai doresc s? stau la c?min...Nu m? mai în?eleg deloc cu mama din vil?. Sîmb?ta trecut? m-a b?tut pentru c? am p?tat lenjeria. Mama (...) bate copiii din vil? foarte tare. Cînd am spus c? nu mai vrem s? avem mame b?t?u?e, cei de la c?min au zis s? nu mai venim s? ne plîngem. Îmi doresc o familie. ?tiu c? sînt adoptat?, pe p?rin?ii mei adoptivi îi ?tiu, am discutat cu ei. Mie mi s-au p?rut c? sînt oameni care î?i doresc cu adev?rat un copil. Nimeni din centru nu m-a l?sat îns? s? p?strez leg?tura cu ei“, scrie o feti?? de 14 ani, care a fugit zilele trecute de la Centrul Educa?ional Poiana Soarelui, patronat de Ion ?iriac. Florentina a cerut ajutorul Direc?iei pentru Protec?ia Copilului Bra?ov. Al?i 15 copii din complexul lui ?iriac au cerut în ultima vreme statului s? îi mute în alte centre de plasament, pe motiv c? sînt b?tu?i ?i chinui?i de angaja?ii centrului „Poiana Soarelui“. Conducerea complexului educa?ional neag? îns? toate acuza?iile. În schimb, acuz? mai mul?i angaja?i ai Direc?iei pentru Protec?ia Copilului c? au r?pit-o pe Florentina.

„M? numesc Goroh Florentina, sînt elev? în clasa a VII-a ?i locuiesc la Complexul Educa?ional Poiana Soarelui. V? rog s? m? ajuta?i s? locuiesc în alt? parte, pentru c? nu mai doresc s? stau la c?min. Nu vreau s? m? mai întorc la complex pentru c? dac? se afl? c? am lipsit de la ?coal? pentru c? am venit la dumneavoastr? voi avea probleme. Nu m? mai în?eleg deloc cu mama din vil?. Sîmb?ta trecut? m-a b?tut pentru c? am p?tat lenjeria. Mama (...) bate copiii din vil? foarte tare. Cînd am spus c? nu mai vrem s? avem mame b?t?u?e, cei de la c?min au zis s? nu mai venim s? ne plîngem. Cea mai bun? prieten? pe care o am nu o mai pot vedea pentru c? am fost transferat? de la Liceul de Art?, unde eram colege. În timpul vacan?elor trebuie s? merg la c?minul de b?trîni din S?cele. Îmi doresc o familie. ?tiu c? sînt adoptat?, pe p?rin?ii mei adopotivi îi ?tiu, am discutat cu ei. Mie mi s-au p?rut c? sînt oameni care î?i doresc cu adev?rat un copil. Nimeni din centru nu m-a l?sat îns? s? p?strez leg?tura cu ei“. Aceasta este scrisoarea unei feti?e de 14 ani care a fugit zilele trecute de la Centrul Educa?ional Poiana Soarelui, patronat de Ion ?iriac. Florentina a cerut ajutor Direc?iei pentru Protec?ia Copilului Bra?ov. Feti?a a fost data în îngrijire unui asistent maternal. Al?i 15 copiii din complexul lui ?iriac au cerut în ultima vreme statului s? îi mute în alte centre de plasament, pe motiv c? sînt b?tu?i ?i chinui?i de angaja?ii centrului Poiana Soarelui. Conducerea complexului educa?ional neag? îns? toate acuza?iile copiilor. În schimb, acuz? mai mul?i angaja?i ai Direc?iei pentru Protec?ia Copilului c? au r?pit-o pe Florentina.

Ieri-diminea??, la Centrul Educa?ional Poiana Soarelui din Bra?ov, orfelinat privat, apar?inînd Funda?iei Casa Copilului a miliardarului Ion ?iriac, a fost agita?ie mare. Conferin?? de pres? extraordinar? sus?inut? de avocatul Nicolae Mîndril?, vicepre?edinte al Funda?iei Casa Copilului. Asta, dup? ce acum cîteva zile o feti?? de 14 ani, Florentina Goroh, a disp?rut. „Nu ?tim unde se afl?, dac? mai este în jude?ul Bra?ov sau la Tîrgu-Mure? sau dac? mai este în via??“, afirma avocatul Mîndril?. Feti?a a fost adoptat? cu aproape cinci ani în urm? de o familie din Italia, dar în ciuda sentin?ei judec?tore?ti definitive ?i irevocabile, reprezentan?ii Centrului Poiana Soarelui nu a permis plecarea feti?ei la familia adoptiv?. Acum, Florentina a fost încredin?at?, în regim de urgen??, în asisten?? maternal?, dup? ce ea a cerut ajutor Comisiei Jude?ene pentru Protec?ia Copilului. Florentina acuz? relele tratamente din orfelinat ?i faptul c? este împiedicat? s? ajung? la p?rin?ii ei. În schimb, reprezentan?ii funda?iei lui ?iriac acuz? o serie de persoane din Direc?ia pentru Protec?ia Copilului - ?i nu numai - de r?pirea feti?ei.
Invita?ie de pres?
La conferin?a de pres? de ieri-diminea?? a fost invitat un grup masiv de reprezentan?i ai presei centrale. Ace?tia au venit de sîmb?t? la Bra?ov. Li s-a pl?tit, dar nu de c?tre redac?ii, transportul, casa ?i masa. Ei au fost invita?ii Funda?iei Casa Copilului. De?i tema conferin?ei era „r?pirea“ Florentinei, jurnali?tii au fost invita?i s? vad? condi?iile deosebite pe care orfelinatul le asigur? copiilor de aici. Ziari?tii nu au putut vizita centrul decît înso?i?i de reprezentan?i ai gazdelor ?i nu au fost l?sa?i s? adreseze întreb?ri copiilor. „Nu este cazul s? îi interoga?i“, a obiectat Nicolae Mîndril?.
Plîngerile copiilor
În timp ce era organizat „turul de protocol“, cî?iva copii ?i-au luat inima în din?i ?i le-au povestit ziari?tilor despre abuzurile la care sînt supu?i. „Sînt gardieni care dau în noi. Ne bat. Unul din gardieni, cel pe care îl vede?i la poart?, a venit ?i m-a luat de gît ?i m-a lovit pîn? mi-a dat sîngele. Cînd a v?zut c? îmi curge prea mult sînge ?i am stropit, a început s? dea în mine c? am stropit peretele cu sînge, zice c? «nu m?-ta pl?te?te varul». S? v? spun? ?i colegul meu ce i s-a întîmplat ?i lui“. ?i povestea se repet?, spus? îns? de o alt? victim? a b?t?ilor primite aici, în Complexul Educa?ional Poiana Soarelui, apar?inînd miliardarului Ion ?iriac. Sînt voci de copii care acuz? b?taia, pedepsele corporale sau pedepsele colective. Care acuz? c? nu pot ie?i din incinta orfelinatului de multe ori nici m?car cu bilet de voie. De altfel, avem înregistrate mult mai multe plîngeri formulate de copii din acest orfelinat. Sînt copii care acuz? faptul c? au fost muta?i la ?coli inferioare, transfer pe care ei nu l-au cerut, de la licee la ?coli profesionale, de la ?coal? normal? la ?coal? pentru copii cu disabilit??i, c? au parte de multe îngr?diri.
Evadarea Florentinei
În urm? cu cîteva zile, Florentia a plecat de la ?coala din Noua, unde a fost transferat? de la Liceul de Art?, clasa de vioar?, direct la Comisia pentru Protec?ia Copilului. Conform legii, orice copil se poate adresa acestei comisii. Care este obligat? a-l audia ?i a lua m?surile necesare pentru ocrotirea minorului. Ea a fost audiat? de reprezentan?ii Comisiei jude?ene, de fa?? fiind ?i un grup de psihologi ai Direc?iei Jude?ene de Asisten?? Social? ?i Protec?ia Copilului. „Nu mai vreau s? m? întorc la c?min, vreau s? merg la p?rin?ii mei adoptivi. Acest lucru voiam s? îl spun ?i la tribunal, dar nu am fost niciodat? chemat? acolo s? m? întrebe cineva ce vreau eu.“ Comisia a decis c? minora va fi încredin?at? vremelnic în asisten?? maternal? pîn? ce instan?a va decide dac? acest copil va fi internat din nou în centru sau va pleca la p?rin?ii s?i adoptivi.
Adop?ia
Florentina Goroh a fost adoptat? cu aproape cinci ani în urm?, conform legii în vigoare, cu încuviin?area instan?elor de judecat?, inclusiv a Cur?ii Supreme de Justi?ie, de o familie de italieni. Sentin?a poart? num?rul 431/28.09.2000. Copilul n-a ajuns niciodat? la p?rin?ii s?i. Din anul 2000 ?i pîn? în prezent, prin oamenii s?i, Ion ?iriac s-a opus prin toate mijloacele ca adop?ia s? se materializeze. Zeci de procese, însumînd sute de termene de judecat? pentru suspendarea punerii în executare a adop?iei, dar ?i pentru anularea adop?iei. Feti?a era mutat? din orfelinat la un azil de b?trîni cînd veneau p?rin?ii adoptivi s? o ia acas?. Por?i baricadate cînd s-a încercat executarea silit? în prezen?a executorilor judec?tore?ti, avoca?ilor ?i poli?iei. În disperare, p?rin?ii adoptivi s-au adresat Cur?ii Europene de la Strasbourg. Iar instan?a pentru drepturile omului s-a pronun?at: statul român a fost condamnat la plata unor desp?gubiri de 18.000 euro pentru c? nu a pus în executarea sentin?a de adop?ie. Ceea ce nu a impresionat pe nimeni. Pîn? la „evadarea“ de miercuri, Florentina a r?mas la Poiana Soarelui.
Panic? la orfelinat
La orfelinatul Poiana Soarelui a izbucnit panica. „Noi am ref?cut firul întîmpl?rilor ?i ar?t?m c? la data de 23 februarie, în jurul orelor 16:00, minora a fost luat? de la ?coal? de dou? persoane, dintre care una este Azota Popescu, intermediara prin care s-a f?cut adop?ia, ?i o alt? persoan?, pe nume Tatiana Burchel, ?i dus? la Direc?ia pentru Protec?ia Copilului. În jurul orei 19:00, dup? ce f?cuser?m demersuri inclusiv la organele de poli?ie pentru a afla unde este minora, care nu se înapoiase de la ?coal?, am fost anun?a?i telefonic de o persoan? necunoscut? c? minora a fost re?inut? la Direc?ia pentru Protec?ia Copilului, fiind plasat? în regim de urgen?? unui asistent maternal“, a sus?inut ieri, în conferin?a de pres?, vicepre?edintele Funda?iei Casa Copilului, avocatul Nicolae Mîndril?. Avocat care a reprezentat de-a lungul zecilor de procese funda?ia lui ?iriac împotriva adopt?rii Florentinei.
Azota Popescu dezminte
Acuzat? c? ar fi participat la «r?pirea» Florentinei, Azota Popescu, director al Asocia?iei Umanitare Catharisis dezminte. „Este absurd? declara?ia domnului avocat, în acea zi am fost la ?coala General? 21, unde am dou? finu?e eleve, dar am fost pentru a discuta cu înv???toarea lor despre situa?ia ?colar? a copiilor. Aceasta se întîmpla în jurul orei 12:00, nicidecum dup?-amiaza, ?i nu la Liceul de Art? unde este elev? Florentina Goroh.“ Azota Popescu nici nu ?tia despre transferul Florentinei de la Liceul de Art? la ?coala general? din cartierul Noua.
Plîngerea penal?
Prin intermediul lui Gheorghe ?tef?nic?, director al Centrului Poiana Soarelui, Funda?ia Casa Copilului a înaintat Parchetului de pe lîng? Tribunalul pentru Minori Bra?ov o plîngere penal? împotriva urm?toarelor persoane: Anca Finichiu, director la Direc?ia General? de Asisten?? Social? ?i Protec?ia Copilului Bra?ov, Adriana Don?u, director adjunct în cadrul DGASPC Bra?ov, Mariana Tih?r?u, secretar general al jude?ului Bra?ov, Tatiana Burchel, asistent social în cadrul DGASPC, Azota Popescu, pre?edinte al Asocia?iei Catharsis, ?i Mioara Stancu, psihopedagog. „Solicit?m s? dispune?i începerea urm?ririi penale ?i efectuarea de cercet?ri sub aspectul s?vîr?irii infrac?iunilor de abuz în serviciu contra intereselor persoanelor, fapt? prev?zut? ?i pedepsit? de art. 246 Cod penal, abuz în serviciu prin îngr?direa unor drepturi, fapt? prev?zut? ?i pedepsit? de art. 247 Cod penal, lipsire de libertate în mod ilegal, prev?zut? ?i pedepsit? de art. 189, alin. 1 ?i 2 Cod penal, asociere în vederea s?vîr?irii de infrac?iuni, prev?zut? ?i pedepsit? de art. 323 Cod penal“, se arat? în textul plîngerii penale.
„O metod? de a intimida“
„Sînt surprins? s? aflu prin intermediul mass-media despre aceast? plîngere penal?. Este o modalitate cel pu?in ciudat? de a o comunica. Chiar a? fi curioas? s? v?d cînd ?i cum au fost înregistrate plîngerile penale pentru c? a?a cum s-a f?cut comunicarea, prin pres?, din punctul meu de vedere semnifica?ia este extrem de limpede: o metod? de a intimida, de a exercita presiuni împotriva celor ce aplic? legisla?ia privind protec?ia minorilor, fie c? este vorba de magistra?i sau de autoritatea administrativ?. Este un gen de conduit? care excede legea“, a declarat Mariana Tih?r?u, secretar general al jude?ului Bra?ov.
Preciz?rile Direc?iei
„Feti?a de la Complexul Educa?ional Poiana Soarelui a depus în data de 22 februarie 2005 - cu nr. 3513/ 22.02.2005 - o cerere la DGASPC prin care a solicitat s? fie prezent? la Comisia pentru Protec?ia Copilului. Comisia a acceptat s? o asculte ?i a cerut DGASPC, ca urmare a st?rii emo?ionale grave pe care fata a avut-o în timpul discu?iei cu membrii comisiei, s? se gîndeasc? la un plasament de urgen??. Fata a afirmat în fa?a Comisiei c? a plecat de la ?coal? ?i c? se teme c? ar putea suporta grave consecin?e dac? se întoarce în complex. Membrii CPC cuno?teau situa?ia juridic? a fetei - faptul c? era adoptat? de o familie de italieni al c?ror nume îl poart?, cît ?i imposibilitatea de a fi schimbate actele civile ale fetei - îns? au luat în considerare numai starea emo?ional? a minorului care nu mai dorea s? se întoarc? în Complex. To?i membrii Comisiei au fost de acord s? cear? Direc?iei instituirea unui plasament de urgen??. S-a ?inut cont ?i de solicitarea feti?ei de a locui la un asistent maternal profesionist ?i nu într-un centru de plasament“, precizeaz? Direc?ia General? de Asisten?? Social? ?i Protec?ia Copilului Bra?ov.
Usturoiul ?i mirosul
Nicolae Mîndril? s-a ar?tat surprins c? Florentina Goroh, dar ?i al?i copii, ar fi reclamat faptul c? la Poiana Soarelui se practic? b?taia ?i sanc?iunile colective. „Este pentru prima dat? cînd aflu a?a ceva, cînd mi se aduce la cuno?tin?? c? ar fi copii agresa?i fizic. V? garantez c? vom demara investiga?iile necesare, iar persoanele care se fac vinovate de asemenea fapte vor fi deferite justi?iei pentru a se lua m?surile legale“, a afirmat avocatul Mîndril?. Conform declara?iilor acestuia, mai marii orfelinatului nici usturoi nu au mîncat, nici gura nu le miroase. Ace?tia nici m?car nu au auzit de astfel de întîmpl?ri. ?i probabil nici de faptul c?, în urm? cu cî?iva ani, doi b?ie?ei, în vîrst? de sub zece ani, din acest centru educa?ional, au fost agresa?i sexual de un angajat al funda?iei, brutar la centrul de panifica?ie al funda?iei. Poveste încheiat? cu condamnarea la ani grei de pu?c?rie pentru f?pta?, în 1998.
La tribunal
Ast?zi, Judec?toria Bra?ov a fost chemat? s? se pronun?e în leg?tur? cu cererea de ordonan?? pre?edin?ial? solicitat? de Funda?ia Casa Copilului în contradictoriu cu Direc?ia General? de Asisten?? Social? ?i Protec?ia Copilului Bra?ov. Cerere prin care funda?ia solicit? „s? dispune?i restituirea minorei Goroh Florentina institu?iei noastre, respectiv Funda?iei Casa Copilului. Cu cheltuieli de judecat?.“ De altfel, funda?ia, prin directorul ?tef?nic?, s-a adresat ?i Poli?iei Bra?ov-Sec?iei nr. 4, Poli?iei municipale ?i IJP-solicitînd readucerea minorei la Centrul Poiana Soarelui.
Diriginta e ?i angajata funda?iei
În încercarea de a fi cît mai conving?tori în fa?a presei, reprezentan?ii funda?iei au adus-o la conferin?a de pres? ?i pe noua dirigint? a Florentinei, Mariana Patai, de la ?coala general? nr. 21. Au omis s? spun? îns? c? profesoara în cauz? este, în acela?i timp, ?i angajat? a funda?iei. Cel pu?in a?a reise din pliantele g?site la fa?a locului. Asta explic? ?i enigma transferului „în interesul copilului“ de la Liceul de Art?, unde studia vioara, la ?coala general? 21 din Noua, transfer realizat în urm? cu mai pu?in de o lun?.
„Îl iubim pe ?iriac“
În timpul conferin?ei de pres? de ieri, au fost adu?i în fa?a ziari?tilor, în dou? rînduri, mai mul?i copii interna?i în centrul Poiana Soarelui. Mai exact un grup format din zece minori. Copiii au sus?inut c? declara?iile f?cute de colegii lor care se plîng de b?t?i ?i abuzuri sînt ale unor copii cu comportament deviat, care ar trebui în mod normal s? î?i ia lucrurile ?i s? p?r?seasc? complexul. „Noi ne sim?im bine aici, nu vrem s? plec?m, îi iubim pe domnii ?tef?nic? ?i ?iriac.“ De altfel, copii adu?i în „demonstrativ“ au recitat cu coeren?? partitura ce le revenea, reluînd aproape cuvînd cu cuvînt caracterizarea f?cut? de directorul ?tef?nic? colegei lor, Florentina Goroh.
Familia Florentinei
• P?rin?ii adoptivi ai Florentinei, Pini Carol ?i Bertani Annalisa, sînt profesori ?i locuiesc în Reggio Emiglia, una dintre cele mai bogate regiuni din Italia. S-au luptat de peste patru ani f?r? încetare pentru a-?i lua copilul acas?. „Vrem s? o ducem pe Florentina acas? la noi. Eu sînt profesoar? ?i toat? comunitatea ?tie c? am înfiat o feti?? din România. Toat? lumea se mir? de ce nu pot avea acest copil dac? am toate documentele în ordine. I-am preg?tit ?i eu Florentinei camera ei, în care i-am pus tablouri, p?pu?i, c?r?i ?i multe alte lucruri. Vom s?rb?tori venirea ei acas? împreun? cu bunicii. Va fi o s?rb?toare foarte mare. Chiar ?i elevii mei au scris scrisorele pe care mi le-au dat s? le aduc Florentinei în România. În aceste scrisori elevii mei spun c? vor s? se împrieteneasc? cu Florentina“, spun Pini Carol ?i Bertani Annalisa, p?rin?ii legali ai Florentinei, care au fost împiedica?i în ultimii ani chiar ?i s?-?i vad? fiica adoptiv?.

„Noi nu sîntem cump?r?tori de copii. Tr?im o adev?rat? dram?. Mul?i dintre noi au a?teptat mai bine de ?ase ani s? poat? înfia un copil. Procedurile de înfiere din Italia sînt foarte lungi. Înainte de a fi considerat? familie apt? de a adopta un copil, ne sînt verificate veniturile, condi?iile în care locuim, cazierele judiciare ?i multe altele. Investiga?iile sînt foarte serioase ?i sînt efectuate de institu?ii de specialitate care consult? pîn? ?i rudele noastre, pentru a vedea dac? acestea sînt de acord cu decizia pe care am luat-o noi de a adopta un copil. Dup? ce se încheie ancheta social?, cazul este trimis la tribunalul de adop?ie pentru minori. Toate aceste proceduri dureaz? aproximativ doi ani. N-am ales nimic noi. Am acceptat copiii gîndindu-ne la interesul lor, obiectivul nostru fiind acela de a oferi o familie unui copil care nu o are, ?tiind bine c? acesta este un drept al lui de care a fost privat. Chiar ?i povestea copiilor am aflat-o ulterior“.
Familia Pini Carol ?i Bertani Annalisa
de: » Cornelius POPA

Azota Popescu
Romania

Violences dans un orphelinat de la Fondation Zannier Holybaby

Violences dans un orphelinat de la Fondation Zannier Holybaby

 

When the senators discussed the new draft law on adoption, the director of the Center is awaiting trial for assault on minors.
"The director of the orphanage was provisionally released pending trial," said Men Makara investigator in the advocacy organization Human Rights Adhoc, in charge of this case. The investigator said that the director has paid $ 500 to the Court of Kandal. He also pledged to meet all the invitations of justice.
Meth Narong, 55, was arrested in late October for hitting with a stick three orphans aged 14 to 16 years. One of them, head injuries, was taken to the hospital for care.
Because it was too hot in their dorm, teens had decided to install their mattresses outside, but in the night a dog partially torn them, leading to the unleashing of violence by the Director.
One of the brutalised teens said on Radio Free Asia that it was not the first time Meth Narong behaved this way with the children in his care.
Men Makara of Adhoc expresses concern about Meth Narong's release. And especially to continue its activities and to put pressure on the victims, because "he did not acknowledge his fault." The investigator also surprised that the trial has not been forthcoming because the Registrar has confirmed that the investigation was completed. Contacted by Cambodge Soir Hebdo, a representative of the foundation in Cambodia confirmed that Meth Narong retained his post as director of the orphanage Holybaby 2.
The vast majority of children adopted last in Cambodia by French couples come from two orphanages Foundation Zannier Holybaby company, located in the outskirts of Phnom Penh. The foundation also funds, in part, the Cambodian component of the program of voluntary international adoption, initiated in 2008 by Rama Yade then Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Human Rights.
 (Translated from French)
http://tiny.cc/pBDNf


Au moment où les sénateurs discutent du nouveau projet de loi sur l’adoption, le directeur du centre est en attente de son jugement pour coups et blessures sur mineurs.

« Le directeur de l’orphelinat a été relâché provisoirement en attendant son procès », a déclaré Men Makara, enquêteur dans l’organisation de défense des droits de l’homme Adhoc, en charge de cette affaire. L’enquêteur précise que le directeur a versé 500 dollars à la Cour de Kandal. Il s’est en outre engagé à répondre à toutes les convocations de la justice.

Meth Narong, 55 ans, a été arrêté fin octobre pour avoir frappé avec un bâton trois orphelins, âgés de 14 à 16 ans. L’un d’eux, blessé à la tête, avait été conduit à l’hôpital pour y recevoir des soins.

Parce qu’il faisait trop chaud dans leur dortoir, les adolescents avaient décidé d’installer leurs matelas dehors, mais dans la nuit, un chien les a en partie déchirés, entraînant ce déchaînement de violence de la part du directeur.

L’un des adolescents brutalisés a indiqué sur Radio Free Asia que ce n’était pas la première fois que Meth Narong se comportait de cette façon avec les enfants dont il s’occupait.

Men Makara d’Adhoc se déclare inquiet de savoir Meth Narong en liberté. Et surtout qu’il poursuive ses activités et puisse faire pression sur les victimes, car « il n’a pas reconnu sa faute ». L’enquêteur s’étonne en outre que le procès tarde à venir, car le greffier lui a confirmé que l’enquête était terminée. Contacté par Cambodge Soir Hebdo, un représentant de la fondation au Cambodge a confirmé que Meth Narong conservait son poste de directeur de l’orphelinat Holybaby 2.

La grande majorité des derniers enfants adoptés au Cambodge par des couples Français proviennent des deux orphelinats de la Fondation d’entreprise Zannier Holybaby, situés dans la périphérie de Phnom Penh. La fondation finance également, en partie, le volet cambodgien du programme des volontaires de l’adoption internationale, initié en 2008 par Rama Yade alors secrétaire d’État aux Affaires étrangères et aux droits de l’homme.


Cambodge Soir Info

Cambodia, France
Fondation Zannier Holy Baby

Fergie Duchess Of York facing Turkish orphan charges

Fergie Duchess Of York facing Turkish orphan charges

Exclusive By Emily Nash 20/11/2009

    
The Duchess of York was served with legal papers by Scotland Yard yesterday, bringing her a step closer to standing trial in Turkey.
She is accused of breaking laws that ban secret filming and trespassing on government property in the country.
British police acted on behalf of the authorities in Ankara when serving the documents on Sarah Ferguson, 50, whose daughters are fifth and sixth in line to the throne.
The undercover film the duchess helped to make exposed appalling conditions in Turkish orphanages.
Yesterday cameraman Chris Rogers and an ITV documentary producer were also served with legal papers. It is understood they request statements from all three  on their activities in Turkey which could form the basis for an extradition request.
The producer is on another undercover job and ITV would not give his name to protect his identity. A Home Office spokesman said: “It is not our usual policy to comment on cases.
“However, the Home Office can confirm it has received a formal request for legal assistance concerning Sarah, Duchess of York. It has been referred to the Metropolitan Police to progress.”
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The Met said: “A request for international legal assistance has been received. The legality of the request has been agreed and the Metropolitan Police Service has been asked to progress the request. A letter is being sent to three individuals in order to organise for the collection of the information sought by the Turkish authorities.”
Fergie went to Turkey last year with younger daughter Princess Eugenie, 19, to probe the treatment of mentally and physically disabled children in orphanages.
The duchess wore a dark wig and headscarf and posed as an aid worker to get into the Saray rehab-ilitation centre near Ankara.
The TV exposé, filmed by Rogers, showed emaciated children tied to cots by their hands and ankles and left in soiled clothes. It sparked a furious diplomatic row. The Turkish government  launched an investigation into “violations” of its tough privacy laws and ban on undercover filming.
Anyone convicted of breaching “rights to privacy of communications” by filming in secret could face up to four-and-a-half years in jail.
The country’s family affairs minister Nimet Cubukcu said: “Sarah Ferguson is trying to launch a smear campaign opposing Turkey’s EU membership.”
The country fears bad publicity on human rights abuses could block its acceptance by Europe.
Last night a spokesman for Fergie, who dropped plans to write a forward for Rogers book on the orphanage story, said: “The duchess will be co-operating fully to ensure the quick resolution of this issue.”
Princess Eugenie is not believed to be under investigation.

Turkey
Sarah Ferguson, Chris Rogers

17-09-2009 - Wereldkinderen legt adoptieprocedures Ethiopië voorlopig stil en start nieuw onderzoek

17-09-2009 - Wereldkinderen legt adoptieprocedures Ethiopië voorlopig stil en start nieuw onderzoek

Wereldkinderen legt tijdelijk de adoptieprocedures in Ethiopië stil. Er worden vooruitlopend op onderzoek voorlopig geen nieuwe adoptieaanvragen in behandeling genomen en lopende procedures worden aangehouden.

Ethiopië is een van de armste landen ter wereld en heeft een nauwelijks ontwikkeld rechtssysteem. Volgens gegevens van Unicef zijn miljoenen kinderen in deze regio wees of halfwees. De positie van vrouwen is achtergesteld. Door grote armoede zijn ouders vaak niet in staat voor hun kinderen te zorgen. Vanuit onder meer de Verenigde Staten is er een grote vraag naar adoptiekinderen uit Ethiopië. Het aantal kinderen dat geadopteerd wordt in het Westen is in vier jaar tijd toegenomen van 854 naar 3031. De grote armoede in Ethiopië en de vraag van westerse landen om in meer adopties te bemiddelen, leidt tot mogelijke misstanden bij adopties uit Ethiopië. Eerder zijn hierover in met name buitenlandse media berichten verschenen.

Wereldkinderen heeft in het voorjaar dossieronderzoek naar reeds afgeronde adopties gedaan. Hieruit bleek dat de achtergrondgegevens van kinderen niet altijd overeen kwamen met de informatie zoals die in de dossiers was opgenomen. Wereldkinderen heeft hierop een analyse gemaakt, het beleid aangepast en nieuw onderzoek geïnitieerd. Dit veldonderzoek naar lopende procedures is inmiddels afgerond maar heeft de twijfels niet kunnen wegnemen. Er zijn opnieuw maatregelen nodig en breder onderzoek in Ethiopië is vereist. In overleg met de Ethiopische en Nederlandse overheid, onze contactpersonen en kinderrechtenorganisaties aldaar zal dit onderzoek worden vormgegeven. De achtergrondinformatie van de kinderen in de 25 lopende procedures zal individueel nagetrokken worden. Per individuele casus zal worden besloten of er sprake is van verantwoorde adoptie en er recht wordt gedaan aan de belangen van het kind en de biologische familie. Alle direct betrokkenen bij lopende adoptieprocedures uit Ethiopië zullen persoonlijk worden geïnformeerd. Zodra meer bekend is over het onderzoek en de uitkomsten daarvan zullen wij dit delen met alle betrokken partijen.

Wereldkinderen aka NICWO
Ethiopia

Britain to apologize over forced child migrants to Canada

Canada, United Kingdom, Australia

Juin 2007 : suspension des adoptions en Slovaquie

Juin 2007 : suspension des adoptions en Slovaquie
Les autorités françaises par le biais de l'AFA, viennent d'informer que la Slovaquie n'acceptera plus de nouveaux dossiers de postulants à l'adoption tant que les dossiers en cours déjà dans ce pays (plus d'une vingtaine) n'auront pas été traités.

De nouveaux dossiers pourront être adressés par l'AFA au fur et à mesure que des adoptions se finaliseront avec ce pays.

En outre, la Slovaquie fait savoir que, conformément à la Convention de la Haye, l'adoption nationale est privilégiée et qu'elle recherche plutôt des familles pour des enfants grands (plus de 8 ans) ou des fratries.
France, Slovakia

ST. BENEDICT NURSERY TE CHITTAGONG

Overzicht kintertehuis

ST. BENEDICT NURSERY TE CHITTAGONG

Beste leden,

Ik ben zelf afkomstig van het St. Benedict Nursery te Chittagong.

Ik heb een lijst meegekregen van kinderen die eveneens afkomstig zijn uit dit tehuis. Mocht je naam voorkomen deze lijst en heb je behoefte aan meer informatie, dan kun je contact met me opnemen via info@shapla.nl

Wereldkinderen aka NICWO
Bangladesh

geadopteerd uit Bangladesh - reacties

geadopteerd uit Bangladesh - reacties
Onderwerpen | Voeg een reactie toe
Ik ben Saleha en ben in januari 1977 naar Nederland gekomen. Geboren in december 1976, ik ben nieuwschierig of er nog meer mensen uit de zelfde periode naar Nederland zijn gekomen. Mijn geboorteplaats is Mymensingh. Ik weet sinds een paar weken mijn echte achternaam. Omdat ik nu zelf met mijn man bezig ben met kinderen ,krijg je toch meer vragen...het kinderen krijgen gaat helaas niet vanzelf bij ons en hebben we ons ingeschreven voor Adoptie. Ik en mijn man staan er 100% achter. Vooral omdat ik zelf ook geadopteerd ben. We gaan eind augustus beginnen met de cursus, het boek wat je daarvoor krijgt ken ik bijna uit m'n hoofd, er beginnen nu spannende tijden voor ons. Als er meerdere mensen zijn die het leuk lijkt om over hen ervaringen te praten over de adoptie van Bangladesh naar Nederland zou ik het leuk vinden om er mee in contact te komen.
Geplaatst door saleha op 23-08-2007 21:49
Reacties:
13-09-2007 11:25 - jhorna
Hallo,

Ik ben in 1975 vanuit Bangladesh gekomen. Je mag me mailen, als je wil, op j.smidt@home.nl.

Groetjes,

Jhorna
18-10-2007 12:11 - waterman70
hallo Saleha,ik ben geadopteerd op 22juni 1977.ik was toen op papier 7jaar en weet dus nog veel over mijn levens wijze in bangladesh.ben in 1995 na 20 jaar voor het eerst terug geweest met een groeps reizen van wereldkinderen.als je nog meer wil weten,dan kan je me mailen naar (bgriffioen@msn.com) groetjes van babul
06-11-2007 11:55 - banglagirl
Hai Saleha,

Ook ik ben geadopteerd uit Bangladesh en kom ook uit Mymensingh. Ik ben naar nederland gekomen toen ik 9 weken was. Ben in Januari 1978 naar Nederland gekomen. In januari 2003 ben ik voor het eerst terug geweest en ben toen ook in Mymensingh geweest. Je kan me mailen als je het leuk vind op munirih30@hotmail.com.

Bangladesh
Wereldkinderen aka NICWO
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