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Investigation "The child you asked for is born": when baby trafficking flourished on French soil

The use of DNA tests, banned in France, sheds light on long-hidden abuses committed with impunity over several decades: illegal adoptions, false birth certificates, etc. "Libé" has collected the testimony of children adopted in murky conditions and of a mother forced to abandon her.


In the playground, she would cheerfully answer: "My skin color is because I go to Spain all summer. The sun loves me." The explanation suited her, she is so dark and matte, and her parents are as fair as wheat. But the year she turned 10, she overheard her grandfather mention her "adoption." The ground beneath her feet cracked. The information steeped in her stomach for a long time without a word - her mother "freezes" at any attempt to discuss it, her father hardly better. Today, at 56, Blandine still doesn't know the precise circumstances of her birth. Especially since legally... she was not adopted. According to the civil registry, she was born to the Vignolles couple on November 1, 1968, "exactly as if my adoptive mother had given birth to me." No trace of abandonment or birth under X. The copy of her full birth certificate reveals nothing. "I was white as a baby, my mixed-race origins only became visible later. Without that, I might never have known anything."

When her parents die, she rummages through their documents and finds a cardboard folder stuck in the house construction plans. On this letterhead, typewritten: "The baby you asked for and I promised you


 

Trump’s Family-First Revolution: Dismantling Clinton-Era Child Welfare Apparatus

Behind the Scenes Observations of the Child Welfare Apparatus:

  1. Observation #1: Rigid Timelines Harm Families
    The ASFA clock doesn’t always reflect real-life complexities. FFPSA’s approach acknowledges that parents often need more time and resources to address systemic or personal challenges.
  2. Observation #2: Funding Decides Policy
    When the federal government pays solely for foster care placements, that’s exactly what states will use. By paying for in-home parenting support and counseling, FFPSA shifts the paradigm.
  3. Observation #3: Scrutiny Breeds Accountability
    As more eyes focus on CPS, prosecutors, and family courts, expect changes in how quickly agencies move to remove children. The question is whether that scrutiny will result in meaningful reform or superficial compliance.

By Samuel A. Lopez, USA Herald

[CALIFORNIA] – Samuel Lopez here, reporting for the USA Herald. I’ve seen firsthand how child protective policies can shape, uplift, or dismantle families in crisis. Today, I’m bringing you an in-depth legal analysis contrasting two major federal child welfare statutes: The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) of 1997, signed into law by former President Bill Clinton, and the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), signed by President Donald Trump on February 9, 2018.

In light of President Trump’s re-election and his stated commitment to keeping families intact, scrutiny of ASFA is intensifying. Many argue that ASFA is inconsistent with modern societal values, particularly regarding parental rights. Below, I’ll explain why critics say it must be abolished or radically reworked, and how FFPSA’s family-centered approach offers a compelling alternative.

Fermeture - message du President

Le 24 janvier 2025
Chers amis,

J’ai l’honneur et le plaisir de vous présenter, en mon nom et celui des membres du Conseil d’Administration de notre Association, nos meilleurs vœux pour la nouvelle année 2025 ; qu’elle vous apporte, à vous et à vos proches, la santé, la réussite dans tous vos projets, tant personnels que professionnels, et tout le bonheur possible à partager avec tous ceux qui vous sont chers.

Pour la Famille Adoptive Française et les Nids de Paris, cette année 2025 sera très particulière. En effet, depuis 1946, nos Associations ont rencontré et soutenu des milliers de mères de naissance en demande et ont accompagné de plus de 8 500 enfants et leurs familles sur le chemin de l’adoption. Cet exploit a été réalisé grâce à l’impulsion et l’énergie déterminantes des membres fondateurs à l’origine et grâce à l’engagement des directrices et équipes de collaborateurs qui ont agi pendant toutes ces années pour écouter, accueillir et accompagner toutes ces mères et ces familles à un moment de leur histoire. Ce succès a également été possible grâce à toutes les contributions, petites et grandes, visibles ou méconnues, de centaines de bénévoles et de milliers de familles au fil de ces 80 ans d’actions, qui ont participé à l’aboutissement de toutes ces adoptions, qui ont organisé et accueilli toutes nos fêtes annuelles. C’est grâce à ces actions collectives, que nos œuvres d’adoption ont pu exister pendant autant de décennies et permettre à nos familles adoptives de se constituer. Qu’ils en soient toutes et tous largement remerciés. Nous pouvons tous être fiers d’avoir, d’une manière ou d’une autre, participé à cette très belle aventure et nous en réjouir.

Début 2025, nous sommes contraints de mettre un terme à cette magnifique aventure. Les évolutions de fond vécues par l’Adoption Internationale ces dernières décennies et plus récemment, la réforme de l’Adoption menée en France depuis 2000, ont profondément modifié l’environnement de notre action. Après maintes démarches et malgré toute la tristesse qu’une telle décision a provoquée, notre Conseil d’Administration a conclu que notre Association, en dépit de ses atouts, n’avait plus la possibilité d’agir dans ce contexte actuel.

Les prochains mois vont donc être consacrés à clore mais aussi à célébrer cette aventure, notamment à l’occasion de notre prochaine journée annuelle prévue le samedi 15 mars 2025, à l’espace Palissy, à Boulogne-Billancourt, durant laquelle se déroulera notre Assemblée Générale .
Les informations pratiques vous seront transmises prochainement et disponibles sur le site de l’Association.

Trump’s Family-First Revolution: Dismantling Clinton-Era Child Welfare Apparatus

Proposed Federal Mandate: Revisit and Reunify

I believe President Trump should issue an order requiring states to re-examine cases where parental rights were terminated under ASFA-driven mandates. If the underlying concerns can be resolved with targeted interventions, then reunification must be explored. This not only respects the constitutional rights of parents but also recognizes that children often fare better psychologically and emotionally when raised by their biological families—provided it’s safe.

What This Means for Families and the Future

With President Trump’s re-election, child protective agencies across the country must confront a growing demand for transparency, fairness, and “family first” strategies. Parents in crisis should no longer be penalized for issues that can be resolved with targeted help. The era of automatic TPR based solely on rigid timelines is nearing its end.

To dive deeper into the issues covered in this report, join me on my Patreon page, where I provide in-depth legal analysis on matters affecting Americans every day. I’m here to illuminate your understanding of the law, offering legal insights, strategies, and opinions drawn from over two decades of experience in the legal field. As a former senior paralegal and legal analyst for top-notch law firms, I’ve acquired advanced knowledge that has helped prominent lawyers win cases.

Trump’s Family-First Revolution: Dismantling Clinton-Era Child Welfare Apparatus

Behind the Scenes Observations of the Child Welfare Apparatus:

  1. Observation #1: Rigid Timelines Harm Families
    The ASFA clock doesn’t always reflect real-life complexities. FFPSA’s approach acknowledges that parents often need more time and resources to address systemic or personal challenges.
  2. Observation #2: Funding Decides Policy
    When the federal government pays solely for foster care placements, that’s exactly what states will use. By paying for in-home parenting support and counseling, FFPSA shifts the paradigm.
  3. Observation #3: Scrutiny Breeds Accountability
    As more eyes focus on CPS, prosecutors, and family courts, expect changes in how quickly agencies move to remove children. The question is whether that scrutiny will result in meaningful reform or superficial compliance.

By Samuel A. Lopez, USA Herald

[CALIFORNIA] – Samuel Lopez here, reporting for the USA Herald. I’ve seen firsthand how child protective policies can shape, uplift, or dismantle families in crisis. Today, I’m bringing you an in-depth legal analysis contrasting two major federal child welfare statutes: The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) of 1997, signed into law by former President Bill Clinton, and the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), signed by President Donald Trump on February 9, 2018.

In light of President Trump’s re-election and his stated commitment to keeping families intact, scrutiny of ASFA is intensifying. Many argue that ASFA is inconsistent with modern societal values, particularly regarding parental rights. Below, I’ll explain why critics say it must be abolished or radically reworked, and how FFPSA’s family-centered approach offers a compelling alternative.

Les hommes de la rue du Bac : la piste d’un trafic d’enfants

Les hommes de la rue du Bac : la piste
d’un trafic d’enfants
Article réservé aux abonnés
Les hommes de la rue du Bacdossier

Des documents officiels issus des archives de la Charente-Maritime, que
révèle «Libération», attestent de graves manquements au sein d’un
organisme d’adoption français. Comme Inès Chatin, qui a dénoncé les
crimes sexuels d’une bande d’intellectuels parisiens, des enfants ont pu
être adoptés par des familles abusives. Ses avocats réclament une
commission indépendante.

Lettre d'alerte du directeur départemental de la santé envoyée au préfet de
Charente-Maritime, en juillet 1964. (Cyril Zannettacci/VU' pour Libération)
par Willy Le Devin
publié le 23 janvier 2025 à 7h31


Ce sont des documents qui éclairent d’un jour inquiétant les conditions d’adoption en
vigueur dans les années 60-70. Instantanés de la France d’après-guerre, et d’une
époque où la loi Veil légalisant l’interruption volontaire de grossesse n’était pas
encore promulguée, ils suggèrent l’existence d’un trafic d’enfants, qui a pu prospérer
au sein de l’un des plus grands organismes d’adoption habilités à l’époque, la
Famille adoptive française (FAF).


Consultés par Libération, ces documents officiels, rédigés par des préfets ou des
directeurs départementaux de la Santé, proviennent des archives départementales
de la Charente-Maritime, et accréditent, en outre, les craintes d’Inès Chatin, la
femme qui a dénoncé cet été dans notre journal les crimes sexuels que lui ont
infligés plusieurs figures intellectuelles françaises, parmi lesquelles l’écrivain Gabriel
Matzneff. Car avant de subir une multiplicité de violences abjectes de 4 à 13 ans, de
la part d’hommes proches de son père adoptif, le médecin Jean-François Lemaire,
celle-ci a été adoptée dans des conditions irrégulières en 1974. En effet, son dossier
comporte de nombreuses anomalies administratives, en plus d’examens médicaux
absents et d’actes formellement illégaux.

Gynaecologist arrested in Chania tied to Australian baby adoption scandal

A gynaecologist from Heraklion and a colleague from Chania, were arrested on Monday, January 20, as part of an investigation into an illegal adoption ring uncovered last August.

This comes after Australian parents were unable to bring their newborns home after a well-known fertility clinic in Crete, which uses surrogacy, was raided by police due to claims of human trafficking and fraud.

Nine newborns – including a number of Australian babies – were detained by the Greek government in a high-security neonatal ward in Crete’s Chania Hospital after the Mediterranean Fertility Institute was raided by federal police on accusations of human trafficking and fraud.

Through the utilisation of DNA testing for identification, the babies were eventually returned to their biological parents.

The Heraklion-based doctor supposedly linked to the scandal was arrested while working and discreetly transferred to Chania for questioning. There, he was initially brought before the prosecutor and then the investigating judge.

GUILLAUME OP DE BEECK

Perhaps those children, who are now adults and often have children of their own and have built a (perhaps good) life, do not want to be "reunited" with people they do not know at all. This also applies to adopted children. Some do everything they can to find their biological parents, others decline them festively. And sometimes that biological family does not want to be "found" either.

  •  


 

The Evolution Committee: “At least 31 children in the Brothers’ Welfare Center were adopted overseas… Recommending a national apology”

It has been newly revealed that at least 31 children admitted to the Brothers Welfare Center between 1976 and 1989 were adopted overseas.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) held its 96th committee meeting today (the 21st) and decided to “find the truth” about 10 cases, including the Brothers Welfare Center human rights violations.

The TRC announced that it confirmed the existence of 31 children and 17 biological mothers among the Brothers Welfare Center inmates who were adopted overseas.

The results of the investigation also revealed that the “Confirmation of Support Obligor Notice,” which should have been conducted to find guardians before requesting adoption of children admitted to the facility, was ineffective. The notice

was conducted at a district office in Seoul, unrelated to the place where the children were found, while the children had already been transferred to an adoption agency and were in the process of being adopted overseas.

The TRC recommended that the government issue an official apology, restore the victims’ honor, restore identities and family relationships lost during the forced detention process, and identify missing persons.

At today’s meeting, it was decided that the truth of the Samcheong Education incident would be further investigated, and 70 additional human rights violations were confirmed. Accordingly, the number of victims whose truth has been investigated in relation to the Samcheong Education has increased to 634.
 


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Moon Ye-seul (moonster@kbs.co.kr)