In the 1970s and 1980s it was relatively easy for couples with an unfulfilled desire to have children to adopt a child from abroad. Today these children are grown. When they search for their biological parents, they often find out that their adoption was illegal and documents were forged.

Isabel Fuhs wants to know who her mother is. "I keep asking myself that. But I can imagine that she's somewhere.” Isabel Fuhs was adopted from Brazil in 1985. She was not even two months old then, a little baby. But she knows almost nothing about her first weeks of life. The biological mother is said to have been only twelve years old when the child was born. A Brazilian lawyer arranged the adoption to Germany.

“The story about my adoption is really very strange. There's nothing, no records, what hospital was I born in? Nothing to say about the birth parents either, nothing about the mother, no name. This is really very dirty. You can't understand much today."

It's an agonizing blank in her biography. Psychologists have long known how important knowledge of one's biological origins is for the formation of one's identity. The Federal Constitutional Court ruled in 1989 that it is part of a person's personal rights to know their own origins. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child also contains the right to identity. Not knowing anything about their birth family plunges some adoptees into deep crises.

Right to know one's parentage

The law changed in 2016 to allow gay couples to adopt – but it was hardly an opening of the floodgates

When Victoria changed the law to allow same-sex couples to adopt, the government heralded it as a pathway that would allow more opportunities for children to be matched with the best possible family.

Instead, fewer than five adoptions by same-sex couples have taken place in the state since 2017.

The convener of support group Gay Dads Australia, Rodney Chiang-Cruise, is blunt about his thoughts on the issue. “Honestly, my advice to same-sex couples seeking to adopt in Victoria has been don’t bother,” he tells Guardian Australia.

In the 1970s and 1980s, it was relatively easy for couples who were unable to have children to adopt a child from abroad. Today, these children are adults. When they search for their biological parents, they often find out that their adoption was illegal and that the documents were forged.

Isabel Fuhs wants to know who her mother is. "I keep asking myself that. But I imagine that she is somewhere." Isabel Fuhs was adopted from Brazil in 1985. She was not even two months old at the time, a small baby. But she knows almost nothing about her first weeks of life. Her biological mother was said to have been only twelve years old at the time of her birth. A Brazilian lawyer arranged the adoption in Germany.

"The story of my adoption is really very strange. There is nothing, no records, in which hospital was I born? There is also nothing about my biological parents, i.e. my mother, no name. It is really very unclear. You can't understand much anymore today."

It is a painful gap in their biography. Psychologists have long known how important knowledge of biological origins is for identity formation. In 1989, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled that knowing one's own ancestry is one of a person's personal rights. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child also contains the right to identity. Not knowing anything about one's biological family plunges some adoptees into deep crises.

right to know one's own ancestry

Bought children, doctored files… A generation of adoptees in search of the truth

By Agnes Leclair

Published on 03/17/2023 at 19:45, updated on 03/17/2023 at 19:45

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To Mr. Stein

The Leuven Adoption Study is blowing out 14 candles this month. We spoke to Simon Fiore, child and adolescent psychologist and doctoral researcher at the LAS, about the study and some of the findings.

What is the LAS study and what is its purpose?

LAS stands for Leuven Adoption Study. It is the first large-scale long-term study in Flanders that follows about forty families with an adoption story.

The aim of the LAS is to better understand how families with an adoption story develop over time. I am talking about both adoptive parents and children and young people with an adoptive background.

Where does the question or interest in following these families through time come from?

Ina Hut, director of CoMensha, has decided to say goodbye after a period of more than eight years. She will take on other challenges as of 1 May. Ina has been director of CoMensha since 2015.

As director of CoMensha, Ina has made an important contribution to the positioning of CoMensha and to raising awareness and putting the approach to human trafficking on the agenda in the Netherlands. Under her leadership, CoMensha has managed to put itself on the map as a solid and connecting partner in chain cooperation. Her vision, tireless effort and dedication will be missed within the organization and in the field.

Ina: 'Although I made this choice very consciously, I also leave the organization and the field with a heavy heart. I have committed myself with heart and soul to CoMensha and to the victims of human trafficking. I have also always appreciated the cooperation with the chain partners. There is a solid CoMensha, with a professional and involved team. I am confident that my successor will continue on this path. Every goodbye is a new beginning. I am going to set up my own fund that will invest in initiatives that realize social impact, for example through micro-credits. In addition, I will remain active in the field with a number of supervisory and advisory positions.'

The Supervisory Board: 'We respect Ina's decision and express our appreciation for her efforts and involvement over the past eight years. We also thank Ina for the way in which she has guided and led CoMensha in recent years. We wish her all the best in her next phase. We are pleased that the follow-up has now been arranged, which guarantees continuity.'

Conny Rijken, National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings and Sexual Violence against Children: 'Under Ina's leadership, CoMensha has become a professional organization with a clear role for the care of victims of human trafficking. With her enormous efforts over the past eight years, she has put human trafficking firmly on the map, further enriched our knowledge of human trafficking and brought parties together.'

A 46-year-old man who went missing at a bus terminal in Suwon, Gyeonggi, more than 40 years ago before being adopted by a German couple reunited with his biological family on Thursday.

Local authorities said it was the third time they linked a missing Korean child who was adopted overseas during the 1970s and ‘80s with their birth family through a program jointly run by the Korean National Police Agency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Center for the Rights of the Child.

The latest adoptee who benefitted from the program was identified only as Jeong, the Korean surname he was given by his birth parents.

Police said he refused to reveal his German name to the press.

He was four years old when his parents lost him at the Suwon Bus Terminal in January 1981.

Couple loses bid to have adopted son declared a citizen by operation of law.

PETALING JAYA: A court has held that an adoption order issued by a lower court concerning a man almost 10 years ago did not confer on him a right to citizenship.

Lau Jhun Guan, 22, and his adoptive parents had applied to the Johor Bahru High Court for a declaration that he was a Malaysian citizen by operation of law.

He also sought a court order compelling the government to issue a birth certificate and an identity card reflecting his status as a citizen.

Dismissing the application, judicial commissioner Shamsulbahri Ibrahim said that while an adoption order conferred the adoptive parents certain rights and obligations over a child, its “operability and interpretation should not be stretched to supplement the provisions of the (Federal Constitution) in matters relating to citizenship”.

There is no report available regarding death of children after their adoption from these agencies: Centre

A total of 79 children have died between April to December, 2022, in Specialised Adoption Agencies (SAAs) majorly due to unsafe abandonments which exposed them to harm like being bitten by animals or asphyxia. Very low birth weight and premature birth were some of the other reasons.

However, there is no report available regarding death of children after their adoption from these agencies, the Ministry of Women and Child Development informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

The Ministry said that for improving quality child care in Child Care Institutions (CCIs), particularly in SAAs, Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) has been advising the agencies through circulars and through various training and development activities.

Adoption Regulations, 2022, also emphasises on quality child care by the adoption agencies and also mandates Chief Medical Officers for necessary interventions.