ADOPTION AGENCY'S LICENSE LIFTED REASON: LINK TO LAWYER ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ABUSE

By Arthur C. Gorlick P-I Reporter

THURSDAY, February 16, 1989

Section: News, Page: B1

The state's Department of Social and Health Services has suspended the license of a Port Angeles adoption agency run by the wife of a lawyer charged with sexually abusing a blind, 12-year-old Guatemalan girl living in his home.

The agency, Adoption Advocates International, is licensed to Merrily Ripley, wife of attorney Theadore E. "Ted" Ripley.

Ted Ripley, a member of the adoption agency's board and its registered agent, was charged earlier this month with second-degree statutory rape by Prosecuting Attorney David H. Bruneau of Clallam County.

Ripley, who is free on personal recognizance and living in the home, has insisted that he is innocent of molesting the girl, who has lived in the Ripley home since infancy.

The office of State Licenser Steve Ennett, a division of Social and Health Services, began investigating the adoption agency's license after the girl said she was sexually abused by Ted Ripley and others, said Frank Mendizabal, spokesman for the Department of Social and Health Services.

"Those allegations were based on the alleged abuse victim's testimony and was supported by the opinions of several professionals in the field of child welfare," he said.

"It was also suspected that other acts of physical or sexual abuse may have occurred in their home and that although brought to Mrs. Ripley's attention, neither she nor her husband attempted to protect the alleged victims or to curtail the alleged abuse from reoccurring.

"Therefore, we believe there was reasonable cause to believe the allegations and summarily suspended the license."

The Guatemalan girl has been made a ward of the state and is living in a foster home.

Merrily Ripley has operated an adoption agency for 12 years "and has placed almost 2,500 young people in homes throughout the area," responded Jerry Buzzard, the Olympia attorney representing her and the adoption agency in the state's licensing action.

"Now, after absolutely no complaints, she gets a summary notice from the state," he said.

Children being placed by the agency never stay in the Ripley home, but are placed in nearby foster homes temporarily, if necessary, he said.

"Perhaps the state jumped prematurely here without checking all the facts," Buzzard said.

The adoption agency specializes in obtaining children from other nations, mainly in Asia and Central America, for adoptive families.

It operates from offices in a small building behind the home of the Ripley family, which has received national recognition for adopting 18 children from other countries as well as providing a home for three children born to Ted and Merrily Ripley.

As a result of the Guatemalan girl's statements, an adopted Costa Rican- born son of the Ripleys was sentenced to six months in a juvenile institution last July after he was was found guilty of taking indecent liberties with the girl.

Another adopted son, German-born Kori Ripley, 30 ((age)), was charged last month with taking indecent liberties with the same girl and is scheduled to stand trial April 17. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Summary suspension of the license means that the agency must cease operations immediately and that it has 30 days to request an administrative hearing, Mendizabal said.

Merrily Ripley has operated an international adoption agency in Port Angeles since about 1976, when she helped found a group formerly called the Washington Association of Christian Adoptive Parents, later called Western Association of Concerned Adoptive Parents, or WACAP.

In 1983, she was licensed to operate her own agency, Adoption Advocates International, which is not connected with WACAP, now based in Seattle.

The state license for Adoption Advocates International was renewed in 1986 and is up for renewal this year.

The agency placed 144 children last year and 127 in 1987. Buzzard said it has about 100 children "in the pipeline" now.

lf/dc

Organizations: Adoption Advocates International (AAI) WA

Persons: Theadore E. (Ted) Ripley, Merrily Ripley

Overleg met Justitie inzake India (dossiers)

De afgelopen weken is in de media aandacht besteed aan “de zaak Rahul”. Het gaat hier om een adoptie waarvoor Meiling destijds bemiddeld heeft en waaraan al sinds 2005 met enige regelmaat in de pers aandacht besteed wordt.

In 2007 heeft Justitie aangekondigd onderzoek te doen naar hetgeen zich in de jaren 1995-2003 afgespeeld heeft in India. Over dat onderzoek heeft Justitie tot nu toe geen mededelingen gedaan. Het ontbreken van de feitelijke informatie maakt beoordeling van de zaak moeilijk.

Om te proberen meer duidelijkheid te krijgen heeft Meiling op 24 juni overleg gepleegd met het Ministerie van Justitie. In dat overleg hebben wij erop aangedrongen:
1. Met extra inzet te trachten informatie boven water te krijgen en daarvoor contact op te nemen met alle relevante organisaties,
2. Te trachten de adoptiedossiers van alle kinderen – welke in beslag genomen zijn door de politie – op een zodanige plaats onder te brengen dat deze eenvoudig toegankelijk zijn voor geadopteerde en familie.

Organizations: ACT CASE Nagarani

American adoptive father daughter rape case cited concern about China adoption process has been questioned

http://www.enorth.com.cn? 2010-01-05 10:03 http://www.enorth.com.cn 2010-01-05 10:03

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????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????“????????”????????????????????“????”?????????????? Summary: "Global Times" reporter in China and the U.S. adoption agencies and officials of relevant in-depth investigation revealed that late last year exposed the young Chinese American adoptive daughter of a vicious rape case, is from the "decades of rare cases" , but it still caused anger on the perpetrators of the American people, "human flesh search" and the Chinese people question the adoption process.

Organizations: Hague Convention on Protection of Children and International Cooperation in respect of Intercountry Adoption (1993)

Countries: China, United States of America

Ju County destroyed a large criminal gangs trafficking in babies

???????????????????276 ???????2010?05?27?09:30:57 Study: Group Song Shilun Xu Source: Original Hits: 276 Update: May 27, 2010 09:30:57

?????????? Production and marketing of goods is a baby dragon
??????????????? Ju County destroyed a large criminal gangs trafficking in babies

?????????????????????????????????“????”? Them to produce babies for profit as a career; them by introducing the sale of baby riches; them to buy the baby, "continued incense." ??????????????????????“???”?????????????????? It is because of the different needs of these three interests, contributed to the production and marketing of baby "train" this heinous formation and operation of profit-making mechanism. ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Recently, Ju-depth Mopai Police, dispatched a group of tracing the full and successful destroyed a large criminal gangs trafficking in babies, removed the damage of the surge in Ju County undercurrent years.
??2009?8???????????????????????????????????????????????? Back in August 2009, Ju County Public Security Bureau of the Interpol unit four squadrons in the survey visited learned chess at the Ju County Mountains, Luo a group of children with a sale of activities in secret. ?????????????????2010?4??????????????????????????????????? The large number of visits to the rural villages, detailed Mopai, in April 2010, a suspect into police view: chess Chahe Town, West Looe home village of Lu Moumou are suspected of selling babies. ????????????????????????????2004????????? This leads police to seize the link, through a secret investigation found that Lu Moumou younger son of its 2004 purchase by others.
???????????????????????????????? Lu Moumou suspected of committing the crime to determine, after a police rapid deployment force, actively carry out arrest operations. ????????????????????????????????????????????? To prevent alert the police repeatedly Mo Pai, careful arrangements, and detailed discussions of, the development arrest program, determine the best time and place of arrest. 4 ?20???????????????????????????????????????????? April 20 morning, Lu Moumou motorcycle nearby villages to send their son to school, thus the police were already guarding the door of success in school and arrested.
??????????3??????????????????????????12?? Lu Moumou arrested the same day at 3 pm from the beginning confessed his crime of trafficking in children, the trial continued until 12 midnight. ?????10????????????????2005???????????34??????? During 10 hours of the trial, Lu Moumou statement of its child trafficking since 2005, 34 facts of the crime of crimes. ?2005?????????????????????????? Since 2005, he has sneaked Weifang, Laizhou, etc., contact selling baby matters. ????????????“??”?“??”?“??”?????????????????20??????“??”?????????????????????????? First, from Weifang through several nicknamed "Aba", "hairy child", "European ball" baby Sichuanese contact the seller, more than 20 during the sale of babies, after the adoption of "Aba", Lu Moumou know Laizhou Cho , will be transferred to the Laizhou trading baby market. ?????“??”??????????????2009?????????????????? According to Lu explained, "Aba" and other diseases due to drugs, has died after his 2009 no business dealings with them because they interrupt the connection.
??????????????????????????????????????????????????? When asked about the source baby, Lu Moumou confession, buy baby caught Department of the baby's natural parents, his mother of the baby trafficking are to Sichuan, Shandong working women. ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? The sale of their biological children as economic resources, some students will complete the sale after the Na Zhaoqian disappear, and then disappeared; also some for several years to Shandong Laizhou giving birth in the money returned to Sichuan after the sale. ???????????????????????????????????????????????????10????? The Lu also sure that their children were trafficked from the hands of children, birth parents to buy, no theft of trafficked persons, as he trafficked were less than 10 days after birth infants.
?????????????????????????????????? Police to Lu Moumou in Laizhou Zhao as the main point of contact and quickly leave, rushed to the Laizhou arrest Zhao. ????????????????????????????4?22?16????????????????? Laizhou City public security bureau of Interpol in the squadron and the brigade technology Shahe strong cooperation of the police station, April 22 16 am, Police Zhao successfully captured in his home.
???????????? Zhao night police will back Tushen. ???????????????????????????????????? Zhao truthful confession, because of its runs a grain and oil station, near many of Sichuan migrant workers, frequent contact with him. 2009??????????“??”??????????????????????????????? Before 2009, Weifang called "Aba" who rented the van with the others several times joint, link trading near the Sichuan woman's baby. ??????????????????????????????????? After he and Ju County of Lu Moumou familiar, he was responsible for contacts here in Sichuan women, have the child sell and Lu Moumou. ???????2009????????4???????????????? By Zhao confession, since 2009, since its has the four babies sold to Lu Moumou who led Ju County.
??????????????????? Thus, the case has two major criminal suspects arrested. ??????????????????????????????????? The other arrested suspects, according to confessions, the police along line of attack, quickly Ju County native captured five other associates. ??????????????????????25??25????????????????????DNA???????????????????????? At present, the police have to verify the statement Lu Moumou 25 criminal cases of child trafficking, the 25 trafficked children have been photographed and collected blood samples, enter the DNA database in order to have stolen to contact the baby's parents can claim. ??????????????????????????????????????????25???????????????? As the case of baby birth parents have after selling the baby to take the money and run, hopes of finding extremely difficult, and is only required by law, the 25 children were trafficked by their parents temporary custody.
??????????????30????????3???? Police found that Lu Moumou statement of trafficking 30 babies, only three girls. ?????????????????????????????????????? Mostly buy baby girl has been married several years without children, but also hope to be able to grant the second child, birth of a baby's families. ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????“??”? ?“?”???? Most people buy baby girl home with two or more people, and their motivation to buy the boy is only one: in the countryside, there is no boy inferior, no boy would be like "non-repeatable," raising "children" as old age. ??????????????????????????“???”??????????????????????“????????”??????????????????? Ideas in advance of the economy and today, the only child in the city become a "second generation alone," the elderly are two competing pet the same time, some rural areas continue to pursue a "No son of inferiority," the concept behind such as these inevitably make people sadly puzzled. ????????????????????????????? More people have to face is that baby deal, the price was lower than the baby girl. ??????????“??” ???? Gender differences also determine the "worth" of difference. ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Can imagine their future, settled in, schooling, employment, and even the protection of social rights, will be a significant amount of interdependence between their growing need to work together, and our common love. ??? ???? (Xu Qun Song Shilun)

???????? Editor: chu state network

http://www.jxxcw.gov.cn/content.php?id=4156

Countries: China

Nepal will soon allow foreign nationals to adopt Nepalese children

Kathmandu, June 27 (ANI): Nepal is mulling amendments that would allow internationally distinguished foreign nationals to adopt Nepalese children, the Republica daily reported.

Officials at the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MoWCSW) have been mulling over some amendments in the procedures regarding inter-country adoption, which, once implemented, will pave the way for foreign nationals to adopt Nepali children of their choice.

Existing international standards and practices and Nepal's existing laws prohibit any foreign nationals from selecting the children of their choice for adoption.

However, the ministry proposed amendments overlook existing international practices, which are considered imperative for protecting children from abuses.

Officials at the ministry have proposed such an amendment after the government had to deny several internationally distinguished foreign nationals' requests for adopting the children of their choice in the past, Xinhua reports.

According to the daily, recently, about two dozen American senators had lobbied with the government for adoption of a Nepali child by a U.S. based entrepreneur.

According to ministry officials, the government will allow a foreign national to select a Nepali child of their choice only under special circumstances. (ANI)

http://news.oneindia.in/2010/06/27/nepalwill-soon-allow-foreign-nationals-to-adopt-nepalesech.html

Countries: Nepal, United States of America

Organizations: Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute

Vietnam law change may allow adoptions to resume

Vietnam law change may allow adoptions to resume
27 June 2010 By Kieron Wood

Adoptions from Vietnam are set to restart from January next year, after Vietnam passed legislation to ensure that its laws comply with the Hague Convention on intercountry adoption.

Around 60 per cent of the 400 or so international adoptions in Ireland every year are from Vietnam.

However, the existing bilateral adoption agreement between Ireland and Vietnam lapsed on May 1, 2009, leaving many Irish couples unable to complete adoptions.

Sixty applications from people seeking to adopt Vietnamese children were subsequently withdrawn.

Some prospective adopters were said to have been six or seven years in the system.

A number of international reports have criticised adoption procedures in Vietnam, and Minister for Children Barry Andrews also expressed concern about the Vietnamese adoption process before the country passed its new law.

The ratification of the Hague Convention by Ireland and Vietnam means that both countries will have to adhere to certain standards.

Vietnam decided last week to pass legislation to ensure that its laws comply with the convention.

Ireland is due to ratify the convention when the new Adoption Bill comes into force in the autumn. The bill is to be considered by the Dáil this week.

A spokeswoman for Andrews said: ‘‘In the event that both Ireland and Vietnam ratify the convention, there is every reason to expect that adoptions from Vietnam could re-commence, subject to the provisions of the convention being met in this regard."

http://www.sbpost.ie/news/vietnam-law-change-may-allow-adoptions-to-resume-50161.html

Countries: Ireland, Vietnam

Organizations: Hague Convention on Protection of Children and International Cooperation in respect of Intercountry Adoption (1993)

Fighting to bring the family home

Sunday, June 27, 2010

By Lena Sin, The Province

For nearly a year, the Segals have lived as a family divided -- after the bureaucratic process of adopting twin boys in West Africa left them in limbo on two different continents.

Andrea Bastin now lives in Ghana with the couple's adopted twins, 19-month-old Will and Charlie.

Countries: Ghana, Canada

Fake Police Document to Adopt a Girl

Translation of article on Kantipur news website, published on 22 June 2010
.

Fake police document to adopt a girl

-By Pratima Baskota
Kathmandu, June 22 (Tuesday)

A guardian has claimed that, without her permission, a children’s home named Prayash Nepal at Baluwatar, Kathmandu, has sent her daughter abroad as an adopted daughter on the ground of a fake police document.

She has said that her daughter Smriti was sent to Italy by making fake profile in the official letter pad of local community police. Though the children home says that the girl was referred by police, the letter itself seems to be a suspicious one.

The reference letter of police, received by 'Kantipur' daily, states that Smriti, daughter of a local homeless (Sukumbasi) Sarita Bhujel of Shantinagar, was handed over to Prayash Nepal in 29, January 2007. The letter's 'dispatch/serial number' is 40. But the police have kept record of the letters of the period during 18, July 2006 to 10, November 2006 only. In the police record book, two pages are left blank following the last date (10, November 2006) after which new records for 2007 has been shown.

"This letter must have been misused by someone" says a policeman of this branch" Every letters sent from here contains the dispatch number but this letter's dispatch number is not found to be recorded here."

The letter is signed by Phool Kumari Paudel, the then Head Constable (Havaldaar). She is now Assistant Sub Inspector at Chabahil Community Police. She said that she had handed over some children, found in abandoned state, to the children home but she doesn't remember about Smriti. "All the letters sent by me contained the 'dispatch/serial numbers'-she said."

But Smriti's mother said that she herself had kept her daughter at Prayash Nepal through a lady who was her neighbor. On Monday, she had gone to that children home to seek her daughter. She said-"I kept her there because I was told that they would educate my daughter till S.L.C. I met her only for 5 times. Later when I tried to meet her I was not permitted saying that she was having her examinations. And now they have sent my daughter abroad without informing me." During these years she had been married again.

On Monday, CCWB wrote a letter to the children home to return the girl. Sarita had reached there with that letter. The situation became quite tensed when Mani Joshi, the director of the home, said that the child had been found in an abandoned condition.

The executive director of CCWB, Mr. Dharma raj Shrestha said that the children home had committed a mistake. He said that chidlren homes have done mischief with help of police and local administration. "These kind of problems have increased in recent days" he added.

The owner of the children home, Mani Joshi claimed that she was handed over the girl by the police with a letter. "I have not done any fake works; police handed over her to me. We received the girl when the Community Police sent a letter saying that the girl was found in an abandoned state. Her mother came in our contact only after she was sent to Italy."

Translated by Mr. Purushottam Lamsal

Countries: Nepal, Italy

Organizations: Prayash Nepal

Persons: Mani Joshi

Inter-country adoption laws in offing

Inter-country adoption laws in offing


OM ASTHA RAI KATHMANDU, June 27: If everything goes as planned, internationally distinguished foreign nationals will soon be able to adopt Nepali children. Officials at the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MoWCSW) have been mulling over some amendments in the procedures regarding inter-country adoption under Muluki Ain (Civil Code), which, once implemented, will pave the way for foreign nationals to adopt Nepali children of their choice. Existing international standards and practices and Nepal´s existing laws prohibit any foreign nationals from selecting the children of their choice for adoption. However, MoWCSW´s proposed amendments overlook existing international practices, which are considered imperative for protecting children from abuses. Officials at the ministry have proposed such an amendment after the government had to deny several internationally distinguished foreign nationals´ requests for adopting the children of their choice in the past. Recently, about two dozen American senators had lobbied with the government for adoption of a Nepali child by a US based entrepreneur, according to ministry officials. The government will allow a foreign national to select a Nepali child of their choice only under special circumstances, an MoWCSW official told myrepublica.com. According to him, MoWCSW will soon send the proposed amendments, which are being discussed in various intra-ministry committees, to the Ministry of Law and Justice (MoLJ). In addition, MoWCSW officials have proposed that those orphanages which have looked after orphans for at least five years, be made eligible for inter-country adoption. At present, any orphanages can obtain license for inter-country adoption irrespective of the years of its operation. “The existing laws have arguably helped those people who want to make quick buck by setting up orphanages, and selling off children in the name of adoption,” a ministry official said. “Inter-country adoption has become a booming business. We urgently need laws that will deter such an unscrupulous practice.” As of now, 42 orphanages have been enlisted for inter-country adoption. Ministry officials believe that a significant number of the listed orphanages have been using inter-country adoption as a means of income generation. Likewise, as per the proposed amendments, foreign agencies involved in inter-country adoption will necessarily have to open their offices in Nepal. About 80 agencies have been assisting prospective parents to adopt Nepali children. However, none of them have opened their liaison offices in Nepal.

Published on 2010-06-27 02:00:01

Countries: Nepal

Organizations: Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute

TdH Denmark - Cheshire home project

Projekter og fadderskaber i Indien

Projektets navn: Cheshire Home
Tilhørssted: Madras/Chennai, Indien
Vores samarbejdspartner: Cheshire Home
Projektets formål: At hjælpe svært handicappede
Projektets art: Gruppefadderskab
Antal børn: P.t. 38
Et fadderskab koster: kr. 75,- pr. måned

Projektansvarlig:
Henrik Bøg, Gl. Skolevej 9, 9382 Tylstrup
Tlf.: 98262261/40750252 - Email: terredeshommes@mail.dk

KLIK HER FOR AT STØTTE DETTE PROJEKT!

Cheshire Home, som blev stiftet i 1958, er et hjem for handicappede, især polioramte. Hjemmet ligger i den sydlige udkant af Chennai (tidligere Madras) i dejlige omgivelser tæt ved kysten. På hjemmet bor ca. 50 drenge og unge mænd samt ca. 25 piger og kvinder – alle med særdeles svære handicaps, de fleste med polio.
Hjemmet er pænt og rent, og det kan oplyses, at Terre Des Hommes for en del år siden støttede hjemmet med indretning af nyt køkken. Endvidere lykkedes det i 2003/2004 Terre Des Hommes at skaffe midler til opførelse af nyt svømmebassin til de handicappede – i samarbejde med ”DGI-byen” i København. Svømmebassinet, som kostede cirka 200.000 kroner, bliver nu flittigt brugt i forbindelse med genoptræning af de handicappede.
Der gøres et meget stort arbejde for at aktivere og videreudvikle alle, som bor på hjemmet – fortrinsvis via nogle håndværker aktiviteter (bl.a. trykning af foldere m.m.) – aktiviteter der hjælper til en bedre motorik, og så giver det samtidig en mindre indkomst til dækning af nogle af de faste udgifter. Resten af udgifterne, dvs. den almindelige daglige drift, betaling for børnenes skolegang, uniformer, mad m.m. dækkes via et tilskud fra den indiske stat samt via et Terre Des Hommes, fadderskabsprojekt, hvor danske sponsorer p.t. indbetaler i alt cirka 20.000 kroner årligt.
Cheshire Home fik i øvrigt besøg af Dronning Elizabeth i 1997 i anledning af hendes 50-års regeringsjubilæum, og hjemmet får i øvrigt ofte udenlandsk besøg – også fra Danmark, da man gerne, og med stolthed, viser hjemmet frem, så man kan få et indtryk af, hvad gode gerninger kan føre til, når viljen er tilstede.
Terre Des Hommes har ofte 2 danske volontører tilknyttet hjemmet. Det er fortrinsvis piger, der "tjener point" til deres videregående uddannelse i Danmark (oftest sygeplejersker og lign.), men også lidt ældre ægtepar, som bl.a. har været uddannet som henholdsvis tømrer og terapeut, har boet på Cheshire Home som volontører, og som dermed har været en stor hjælp med at ”gå til hånde” på hjemmet.
Ovennævnte Terre Des Hommes fadderskabsprojekt støtter de 38 børn og unge, der bor på hjemmet - alle med særdeles svære handicaps og en fattig baggrund, som - uden hjælp - gør det næsten umuligt for dem at få en uddannelse, da dette kræver en specialskole. Hjælpen sikrer således, at de alle får en uddannelse, som gør det lettere for dem at få et efterfølgende godt betalt arbejde, da mange af børnene, på trods af deres handicaps, faktisk er i besiddelse af en god intelligens.
Projektet er et gruppefadderskabsprojekt, hvilket vil sige, at alle donorer støtter alle børnene. Cheshire Home er meget præcise med at tilsende os, og dermed de danske faddere, en rapport over børnenes udvikling 2 gange årligt.
Konklusion:
Et projekt vi har støttet gennem længere tid, som kører perfekt samt med store fremtidsperspektiver.
Vi kender såvel stedet som stedets personel godt via tidligere besøg. Der er således stor tillid til, at dette projekt kan køre videre og evt. udvikles i årene fremover.
Der er kapacitet til, og stort behov for, at hjælpe endnu flere handicappede børn og unge, men det kræver flere faddere……

Organizations: Cheshire Home, Terre des Hommes Denmark