f amilie i nternational frankfurt eV often receives letters of thanks from those searching, as well as from people who have been found, but also from people whose relatives could not be found or with whom contact is currently not possible.

We would like to present some selected feedback. The search for a close relative is associated with a lot of emotions and some visitors to this homepage may recognize themselves in these words. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who confided in us about the sensitive topic of the search. It takes a lot of courage and determination to undertake a search with an unknown outcome. But any kind of certainty can provide comfort

• Search for the mother Germany - Brazil 2023

"I don't know how to show my gratitude to you. 

Everything happened very quickly now. I have already contacted my sister and also my mother. We have also made a telephone video with our sister, brother and mother via WhatsApp. That was very emotional. But also very beautiful. It means to me that I have to start learning Portuguese soon. I still can't believe that I have contact with my Brazilian family. It's just a little difficult because my mother can't write. But it also works somehow. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. “

Evenimentul Zilei, Romania
By Cornel Nistorescu

Incredible! As from Thursday, Romania is a country with a questioned democracy! It does no longer meet the Copenhagen political criteria - which are as necessary as air for Romania to be accepted as member of the European Union.

After Thursday's vote by the foreign affairs committee of the European Parliament, everything has changed. The triumphal speech of the government led by Adrian Nastase, who announced with much fuss that negotiations for Romania's integration into EU would be completed by the end of this year, was contradicted by a shocking decision.

"The committee emphasizes the numerous failures of Romania regarding its progress towards EU integration". What does that mean? That all the promising statements by certain European officials, as well as the boasts of our government was but a smoke screen under which reservations, criticism, failures and even aberrations accumulated to shatter a trajectory which seemed the best chance for EU integration which Romania has ever had.

The readers who want to find details about the amendments, the statements in the report of the foreign affairs committee of the European Parliament can consult our pages dedicated to this crucial moment for the Romanian politics. One thing is clear. Our country will be monitored as regards reform in justice system, the way in which corruption is fought, the way in which the freedom of the press is observed, international adoptions.

All these hot issues weren't at all in a rosy situation. But in 2000 when the Adrian Nastase government came to power, they weren't in such a dramatic situation either. On the contrary, the promises made by the Romanian government were indicative of some progress and some hopes.

But that image, un-backed with substantial progress in reality, didn't last long. The European MPs realized what is there behind the nice words. On the contrary, they interpreted the failed promises as offences.

Those impressed by the lures and nice words of the Nastase government turned against Romania when they realized that reality is actually different. For the first time in these years, our country is accused, more or less openly, that it has cheated the European Union.

The incrimination refers more to international adoptions, but it could have been said also in connection with the justice, the corruption or the public administration. The scandal of the 105 Romanian children adopted by Italians following persistent demands by high officials did but top it all.

Apart from the 105, some other children have been found as being adopted too. No agreement was asked for their adoption from the rapporteur for Romania. The adoptions weren't mentioned in a government resolution either. Adrian Nastase and Serban Mihailescu simply signed for those adoptions.

Such a negligence has brought us to the point where the European MPs said: "The child trade must be stopped by all means". The policy of the office arrangement conducted Serban Mihailescu, nicknamed Miki Spaga (bribe), this jack-in-the-box of the Nastase government, and is experiencing the most terrible failure now.

Even if this failure affects Romania, it is not strong enough to change Mihailescu's position as key man in the backstage arrangements inside the government, but also in the ruling Social Democrat Party (PSD).

Didn't president Ion Iliescu and premier Adrian Nastase know about the European and international discontent about the situation of the justice system in Romania? If that wasn't to be noticed, then only an atomic bomb could have waken them up to reality from the indifference and the sleepy attitude that have had lately.

Despite evidence, despite numerous international signals, despite opinion polls, despite opinions generally shared by the people, they have deluded themselves with the promises of Rodica Stanoiu.

Ironically, before the scandal, Rodica Stanoiu tried to wash her hands of the whole thing, passing responsibility for the corruption in justice to the Superior Council of Magistrature. And that after she, like a hilarious character in a play mocking the shortcomings of society, played puppets.

All the important hierarchies in the justice system in Romania are filled with the wives, in-laws, cousins, nephews, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law of the political-financial clan represented by the ruling party. Instead of assuming responsibility for the difficult situation in the justice system and tendering a tardy resignation, justice minister Rodica Stanoiu staged a sort of operetta show.

The judicial figures of the Ceausescu regime, some who are very close tot he PSD now, magistrates of straw, naive professors, dedicated to a cause of Romania, have been pushed on the front stage to create a sort of patriotical festival Ode to Justice in Romania.

Obviously, disregarding the accusations in the press, by the citizens, and the international public opinion. And everything was one only to bury truths, which are obvious, and to fix the image of the very tarnished lady minister.
Romania will be monitored also in connection with the way in which the freedom of expression is observed.

This seems to me the most serious counter-performance of the Adrian Nastase government. Actually, behind it there is the attempt to generally manipulate information. Even this situation, which is very dramatic in point of our European integration, was presented yesterday as a success of the Nastase cabinet.

Both the public television and radio were Thursday part of a coarse scenario to misinform the population. The public radio broadcast the statement made by Liberal leader Theodor Stolojan who "hailed the decision of European rapporteur for Romania, Emma Nicholson, to request the foreign affairs committee of the European Parliament to carry on EU entry talks based on different terms instead of suspending them".

That is the public radio, on the tax payers' money, achieves the performance to shorten Stolojan's statements so that to give the impression that he also acknowledges the great success of the Nastase government. Romania is a laughing stock in Brussels, (no other EU candidate state has even gone through such embarrassing situation!) and all the official Romanian media channels, supported with the citizens' money, hide the truth.

The private ones bought directly or indirectly, openly or secretly by the ruling party, have reported the same disaster as a success achieved by the Nastase government as well.

Threatened or beaten journalists, the county press taken over almost completely by the people close to power, the public television stations trapped in the screw vice of debt, flagrant cases of misinformation on TVR public television and radio lead us to the incredible situation to be questioned in a chapter considered the main gain after Ceausescu was overthrown: freedom of expression.

The overwhelming vote in the Brussels is the final end of the conceited mocking by the premier, the arrangement made by Miki Spaga, of the public administration looked at through the blinkers of general Oprea. The vote of the Brussels committee makes Victor Ciorbea, the leader of the PNTCD party, fall into ridicule, and all those who believed that they make a patriotical gesture if they try to sweeten the situation in Romania a bit.

But it has the greatest impact on Adrian Nastase. His mask of European player, who is shoulder to shoulder with all the potentates in Europe (Emil Constantinescu lived the awkward illusion of the regional leader too), is removed with firmness and distrust. In vain they had photos with Berlusconi and Tony Blair, in vain they approved international adoptions, in vain they went on hunting trips!

The European Parliament accepts or rejects Romania based on genuine progress it has achieved. However, the Nastase government and Miki Spaga can breathe with relief. The amendment according to which the European police should investigate into the international adoption cases was not voted!

President Ion Iliescu also knew about corruption. He knew of everything that was happening in the justice. He knew about the wasted European funds. He knew about the Mafia-type clans in the counties. He knew about the delays in completing certain negotiation chapters. What did he do?

Even now, in the eleventh hour, he acts as undetermined as before. He knows everything that is going on. He beats about the bush more or less elegantly. He doesn't have any idea where to head for. He is afraid not to lose the chance to return as the president of PSD, and that is why he keeps silent and waits, facing the risk to compromise Romania's European integration.

What is it to be done? The two-three days of shock for the Nastase government will go by. And we will see how the only two working hypotheses work out. Systematically lying the Romanians about the success achieved in the negotiations with the European Union might continue only after the PSD has won the elections. Or Adrian Nastase, aware of the complete responsibility for this critical situation, might launch a large-scale cleansing campaign.

In his apparatus, in the government, in the ministries, even in the party. That is, to try to escape from the net of power structures which tried to fake preoccupation for European integration, but actually wasted all the energy on arrangements, calculations, and games, and took advantage of opportunities to get rich.

It would be the eleventh hour to get fresh chances and to save what can still be saved in the calendar of the European integration!

All we can do is wait!

At least 200 children Dominican were separated from their families in the 1980s. It wasn’t because of a famine, a hurricane or an earthquake, but because of an incredibly effective network of Quebec missionaries and adoptive parents.

HATO MAYOR DEL REY, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC—Miguel and Rosa Ramirez’s shack is located at the end of an isolated road in the interior of the Dominican Republic. It is far away from the scenes found on postcards, in the middle of nowhere. A piece of plywood is nailed to the narrow facade of the shack. Miguel has scribbled an address in a ballpoint pen. It’s a rough address, but enough to know that it is one in Quebec.

It is that of his lost son — one among many.

At least 200 children were separated from their families in the 1980s, and they came from this region in the southeast of the country. It wasn’t because of a famine, a hurricane or an earthquake, but because of an incredibly effective “adoption machine” that was put in place by a network of Quebec missionaries and adoptive parents.

In a region of 40,000 people, 200 children within a few years is a considerable number given that they weren’t orphans. Their parents, all very poor, didn’t necessarily understand all that an international adoption implied. In many cases, they were lured with the promise that their children — once they had received an education and become wealthy — would come back to save them from their misery.

If German parents adopt a child abroad, the adoption in the Federal Republic is initially considered non-existent. Rolf Bach, head of the Joint Central Adoption Agency for the four northern German states, says “there is no legal basis in the Federal Republic” for the recognition of the adoption.

It makes no difference whether the adoption came about through dubious agencies, reputable aid organizations such as Terre des Hommes and the International Social Service or, as is now the case in hundreds of cases, on personal initiative, for example when the parents contacted the state "commissioner" of the youth welfare authority in Colombo themselves.

The parents are quickly confronted with the legal uncertainty of the German authorities after their return if - the normal process - they want to have their adopted child entered in the family register at the local registry office. The “responsible administrative authorities are often overwhelmed” when it comes to the question of whether foreign adoption can be recognized or not, according to legal experts Helga Gross and Ingrid Baer from the International Social Service.

SCPCR members, in a surprise visit to the Bala Sadan, found that the children, the majority belonging to the Yanadi tribe, were anaemic and suffered from skin diseases due to unhygienic conditions in the home

Anguished over the tonsuring of children in Government Bala Sadan (Home for girls), run by the Women Development and Child Welfare (WD&CW) Department, the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) has directed the officials concerned to submit a report on the incident and to conduct a detailed inquiry into the inhuman act, said Commission Chairman Kesali Appa Rao on Saturday.

SCPCR Chairman, along with members T. Adi Lakshmi, B. Padmavathi and G. Seetaram and Child Welfare Committee (CWC) members Raj Kumar and Ravi Bhargav, made a surprise visit to Bala Sadan on Saturday.

WD&CW Regional Joint Director (RJD), K. Uma Rani and NTR District Project Director, G. Uma Devi, said that nine children were tonsured by an assistant (helper), arranged by a visually impaired employee, in the home without informing the higher officials.

The Bala Sadan staff explained that the students were tonsured as they suffered from an infestation of lice and allergies.

Eight adoptees sued the State for negligence in their adoption from Sri Lanka in the 1980s. They argue that the government did not intervene even though it should have known about the many abuses. The adoptees want the government to recognize this negligence and reimburse the costs they incurred to trace their origins.

"We want the judge to determine that the government is liable for the damage suffered by these eight people," says lawyer Mark de Hek, who started the legal proceedings on behalf of the victims. The hope is that there will also be justice for other adoptees in a similar situation.

Child theft and baby farming

It has been known for decades that many things went wrong with adoptions from Sri Lanka. The first signals date from 1979. Since then, stories have regularly emerged about incorrect files, baby theft, so-called baby farms and human trafficking. In 1987, a Sri Lankan study found that the vast majority of adoptions were illegal.

The fact that the Dutch state was repeatedly informed of abuses from Sri Lanka from the early 1980s was evident from the report of the Joustra committee in 2021. At the request of the government, that committee investigated the role of the Netherlands in international adoption. The abuses included baby farming and child theft. According to the committee, the Netherlands did not intervene and the government did not come up with solutions.

The children welcomed by “Village of Peace and Love” were transferred to other centers, a senior judicial source told L’Orient-Le Jour .

Human trafficking, sexual assault, initiation into drugs and alcohol: an association responsible for caring for children exposed to danger or abandoned by their parents, "Village of Peace and Love", located in Mansouriyé in the Metn, was closed and sealed by Joëlle Abou Haïdar, single criminal judge ruling on minors' cases in Mount Lebanon. 

The magistrate's decision, published Friday and consulted by L'Orient-Le Jour , was taken after observing several "flagrant violations" allegedly committed by the NGO against the children it welcomes. According to the judge's decision, the director of the association is accused of "complicity and participation in a criminal act" for not having informed the court that a man, a member of the association, "sexually harassed two minors, forced them to have sex with him, take drugs and masturbate.” One of the girls even admitted in court that she wanted to die because she could not be in a relationship with the man since he is married.

Justice also accuses the director of the NGO of having taken minors to nightclubs and allowing them to consume alcohol. One of the teenagers, drunk, then attempted suicide. The director also allegedly threatened the children with prison if they informed the court of the practices carried out within the association, and would have verbally attacked them. Minors were also allegedly brought by the person in charge to her home and forced to do the cleaning. The text finally denounces the fact that the NGO does not take “physical, psychological and health security” measures.

Personal profits
In addition to these accusations, the association is also singled out for human trafficking, after having children adopted for financial remuneration. “We open this type of association under the guise of charity but in reality it is mainly to make personal profits,” criticizes a senior judicial source at L’Orient-Le Jour. "The leaders of these associations collect funds from NGOs, they barely spend for the good of the children and pocket the rest of the money", regrets this source, who accuses the association of having "monetized an adoption for several thousand dollars" and falsified papers (including a birth certificate) to make it appear that the child was the family's biological son, in order to facilitate the procedure. A second similar case was going to occur but was finally discovered in time, she continues.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday took up an interesting question concerning Hindus: Would an illegitimate child born out of a void or voidable marriage be entitled to the property of parents or have coparcenary right over the properties belonging to a Hindu Undivided Family (HUF)?
As some of the contesting counsel veered towards a consensus that under Section 16(3) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1956 a child born to a void or voidable marriage would be entitled to an equal share with children born to the legitimate wife/husband from the parent’s property, some others propped a doubt as to whether that property would include the self-acquired property of the parent or the inherited ancestral property. Arguments plumbed the depths of existing jurisprudence and threw up several hitherto judicially unattended nuances emerging from Section 16, which provided a clarification to the property right of an illegitimate child and limited it to parental property. Only clarification given by Section 16(3) is that such a child would have no rights over properties of other members of a HUF.
 

This was explained by some counsel as a bar on the right of an illegitimate child over the properties held under HUF, where every child born to valid marriages within the undivided family is entitled to a share of jointly-owned property the moment he/she takes birth.
Even after day-long engrossing arguments, when a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra intended to reserve the verdict, several counsels desired to place their submissions on this issue, forcing the court to schedule further hearing on Thursday. The genesis of the issue was from a trial court in Karnataka, which in 2005 ruled that children born of illegitimate marriage had no coparcenary rights over ancestral properties of parents. A district judge reversed the trial court’s view.

However, the Karnataka HC ruled that “Section 16(3) of the Hindu Marriage Act makes it clear that illegitimate children only had the right to the property of their parents and no one else. It said that once the HUF/ancestral property is divided on the death of the parent, the illegitimate child can have share in the portion of property that accrued to his/her parent, but with a caveat that such a right would emanate only if such parent died without a will”. When the Karnataka HC’s ruling was challenged before the SC, a two-judge bench had on March 31, 2011 referred it to a three-judge bench and framed the question—whether illegitimate children are entitled to a share in the coparcenary property or whether their share is limited only to the self-acquired property of their parents under Section 16(3) of the Hindu Marriage Act?
In 2011, the bench had said, “The court must remember that relationship between the parents may not be sanctioned by law but the birth of a child in such a relationship must be viewed independently of the relationship of the parents. A child born in such a relationship is is entitled to all the rights which are given to other children born in a valid marriage. This is the crux of the amendment in Section 16(3).”

Deborah was brought to the Netherlands from Sri Lanka together with her twin brother. At least, that was the story. At the age of fifteen, she discovers that her alleged twin brother is not related to her at all. The real twin sister was too sick to fly, so two very young children were hastily swapped.

Deborah's fight to put this right appears to finally be coming to an end this summer. 

By Jeroen Pen

Deborah Hageman was adopted in 1985 and left Sri Lanka for the Netherlands. She is one of many: thousands of fellow sufferers travel the same route. The demand for adopted children rose to a record high at the end of the last century. There is a lot of money to be made from Sri Lankan babies and toddlers, so the supply should not lag behind. In a short time, an industry is created in which shrewd and malicious intermediaries call the shots. There is widespread tampering and fraud with birth data and adoption documents. Blinded by their desire to have children, Dutch adoptive parents turn a blind eye, or worse.

Something continues to gnaw at them, they are still too young to put their finger on it, but many of them feel that their adoption story is not right. Once the adopted children become teenagers, adolescents and adults, they start exploring. With often drastic consequences.

In a shocking incident reported from India’s eastern state of West Bengal, a couple sold their eight-month-old baby for 200,000 Indian rupees or $2,400. The bizarre development is said to be from the state’s North 24 Parganas district.

A police investigation is going on, and the child’s mother, named Sathi, has already been arrested. However, the father of the baby, named Jaydev, is absconding.

How did they get caught?

Interestingly, it was the couple’s neighbours who sounded the alarm. Their neighbours in the Panihati Gandhinagar area grew suspicious after they noted the child’s absence and the sudden change in the couple’s behaviour.