Legal requirements were systematically ignored in adoptions from India, and to this day it is not clear who the mothers were. A new study shows that the authorities knew about it and did nothing.

For decades, the overwhelming desire of Swiss couples to have children meant that babies were separated from their mothers in other parts of the world.

Now, a new research study commissioned by the cantons of Zurich and Thurgau shows that in the 1980s and 1990s, India was the most important country of origin for babies who came from abroad to married couples in Switzerland. 

Between 1979 and 2002, a total of 2,278 babies were brought from India to Switzerland.

Until now, adoptions from Sri Lanka have been the main topic of discussion, with several scientific studies revealing actual child trafficking and proving major legal irregularities.

Authorities made serious mistakes in adoptions in the cantons of Zurich and Thurgau between 1973 and 2002. This is proven by a recently published study. Children from India were handed over to Swiss adoptive parents without a waiver from their biological parents.

SALINA, Kan. (KAKE) - New details have emerged from the biological mother of the child finally identified after being dug up in a backyard in Rose Hill. 

"It's kinda like hearing about it for the first time again today considering they finally figured it out,” said Christa Helm, biological mother. 

Helm says she is tired, she says it's been a long day, as DNA evidence confirms the body found buried in the backyard of a Rose Hill home is her biological daughter she named Natalie Marie Garcia. Police identified the remains as 6-year-old Kennedy Jean Schroer. 

"She was a really sweet girl,” said Helm. 

She says she lost custody of her three children in 2018. The girls' foster family, Joe and Crystina Schroer from Rose Hill adopted them in 2019. Helm says that, at the time, she disagreed with how the state handled the case. 

SALINA, Kan. (KAKE) - New details have emerged from the biological mother of the child finally identified after being dug up in a backyard in Rose Hill. 

"It's kinda like hearing about it for the first time again today considering they finally figured it out,” said Christa Helm, biological mother. 

Helm says she is tired, she says it's been a long day, as DNA evidence confirms the body found buried in the backyard of a Rose Hill home is her biological daughter she named Natalie Marie Garcia. Police identified the remains as 6-year-old Kennedy Jean Schroer. 

"She was a really sweet girl,” said Helm. 

She says she lost custody of her three children in 2018. The girls' foster family, Joe and Crystina Schroer from Rose Hill adopted them in 2019. Helm says that, at the time, she disagreed with how the state handled the case. 

SALINA, Kan. (KAKE) - New details have emerged from the biological mother of the child finally identified after being dug up in a backyard in Rose Hill. 

"It's kinda like hearing about it for the first time again today considering they finally figured it out,” said Christa Helm, biological mother. 

Helm says she is tired, she says it's been a long day, as DNA evidence confirms the body found buried in the backyard of a Rose Hill home is her biological daughter she named Natalie Marie Garcia. Police identified the remains as 6-year-old Kennedy Jean Schroer. 

"She was a really sweet girl,” said Helm. 

Last week, a report from The Associated Press in collaboration with Frontline stated that untold numbers of South Korean children had been stolen from their families, trafficked into international adoption through widespread fraud.

The stewardship of internationally adopted children has long been a subject of concern and rumor. Earlier this month, China abruptly stopped their international adoption program, and other countries have recently done the same. From Romania to Vietnam to Chile, rumors of stolen children adopted by unsuspecting American and European parents have endured. Now they are being proven true.

In 1995, after years of miscarriages, including the loss of twins, the advice from my doctors, therapists and everyone I talked to was to adopt, and I welcomed the idea. I was in my mid-thirties — “old” by adoption standards — and I knew I wanted any child I raised to have a sibling. I decided to adopt two children at once.

I received pictures of two babies. With them were documents showing blurry, black-and-white copies of government ID photos of their birth mothers, along with the papers that relinquished the rights to their children.

My sons and I lived a life of closeness, love and all the frustration of a mother single-parenting two boys: video games, smelly rooms, homework, the magically emptying refrigerator, bedtime stories and birthday parties.

A shocking case has come to light that a blind couple from Mohana Golegaon in Kalyan taluka was duped and given their newborn baby to a couple from Chhattisgarh state without any information.

A shocking case has come to light that a blind couple from Mohana Golegaon in Kalyan taluka was duped and their newborn baby was mutually adopted by a couple from Chhattisgarh state without informing them of any form. After the blind couple complained in this matter, after the intervention on behalf of the District Women and Child Development Department, a case was registered in Khadakpada Police Station against the doctor Anurag Dhoni, who runs the Ganpati Nursing Home Nave Clinic in Mohne, for carrying out the procedure of child adoption illegally and the doctor has been arrested.

A blind couple lives in Mohana Golegaon in Kalyan taluka. The couple has two children, a boy and a girl. As the blind woman became pregnant again for the third time, she went to the Ganpati Nursing Home in the village for a check-up by Dr. Anurag Dhoni. He told Dr. Dhoni that he did not want this baby this time. But now you are three months pregnant and doctor Dhoni told the blind couple that you cannot have an abortion. But after you give birth to this baby, interested parents of my acquaintance can adopt. In return, said parents will help you with all your hospital expenses and money for both your children's education. Not knowing the legal process, the blind couple gave their consent. But after delivery last month, without communicating with the blind couple, Dr. Dhoni gave the baby directly to a couple named Kaur from Chhattisgarh. After this, when the concerned blind couple asked about financial assistance and hospital expenses, the doctor categorically refused to give it. So give us back our baby, we will take care of him. But the doctor refused to deliver the baby.

When the neighboring family of the blind couple came to know about this whole situation, with their help, the baby was taken back to the blind parents after one to two weeks. After this, as soon as the District Women and Child Development Department came to know about this, they intervened and started taking action against the doctor. Against this background, a case has been registered against Dr. Anurag Dhoni for illegally adopting a baby in Khadakpada police station and he has been arrested. So it is very likely that he has cheated some people in the same way before.

After cheating the blind couple, Dr. Anurag Dhoni gave birth control pills to the concerned blind woman after giving birth. Due to this, strict action is being taken against the doctor who did such a shocking and reprehensible act and the matter is being investigated more thoroughly, said District Women Child Development Officer Mahendra Gaikwad.

As a teenager, Yaneth Menger already thought that her adoptive parents were hiding details about her origins. She now has indications that a lot of money was paid for her adoption. On Tuesday, her adoptive parents had to give a statement about it in court.

ZYaneth Menger (50) has not seen her adoptive father for even years. On Tuesday morning she meets him again for the first time, at the Noord-Nederland court in Leeuwarden. It is not a warm reunion, but a business meeting: the 76-year-old man, who walks behind a walker, has to testify under oath about Yaneth's adoption. Just like his ex-wife.

It is a rare occurrence: Dutch adoptive parents who have to answer to their daughter or son in the witness box for decisions made long ago, with what they see as nothing but good intentions.

About the author
Menno van Dongen is a police and justice reporter for the Volkskrant.

The hearing is part of a trend. Adult adoptees who were brought to this country as children are standing up for themselves more. They give critical interviews, request documents from the government, file petitions and file lawsuits against the state, agencies or their adoptive parents.

Hyderabad: Justice Surepalli Nanda of the Telangana High Court allowed a batch of writ petitions challenging the actions of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), the state directorate of women development and child welfare department and others in taking forcible custody of adopted minor children. The judge was dealing with a batch of writ petitions filed by several adoptive parents, alleging illegality on the part of the respondent authorities in forcibly taking away adopted children. The petitioners complained that the actions of the respondents were arbitrary and in violation of the Constitution. Counsels for the respondent authorities stated that investigation was undertaken pursuant to receiving a report from an individual alleging sale of children in the name of adoption. Counsel for the respondents relied upon Section 31 of the Juvenile Justice Act, and stated that the police authorities were authorised to produce the child in need of care and protection before the CWC. The judge observed that the Act authorised custody only of children in need and care; in the present batch, the children were adopted by persons capable of giving them a good life. In view of the same, the judge allowed the writ petitions and ordered that the custody of the adopted children be restored to the respective adoptive parents

PHNOM PENH — In November 2020, Linda Nguon, a French woman of Cambodian and Vietnamese origins, launched Banh Mi Media, an online platform celebrating Asian identities and cultures. "After eight years working in Asia, I felt the need to create a space that highlights the diversity of Asian identities, which are often overlooked in their uniqueness in France."

Caption: French Cambodians who recently took part in a talk in Phnom Penh on French and Canadians of Cambodian heritage. From left, Adana Mam Legros, Tifanny Doche, FONKi, Davy Chou, Linda Nguyon and Sok Visal. Photo: @Banh Mi media

She also wanted to enable a conversation on the importance of celebrating all identities equally, as well as create a space for the French-Asian community to share views. And she meant to give a voice to the children of Asians who grew up in Western countries but carrying their Asian or Southeast Asian heritage.

"Avoiding generalizations, breaking away from stereotypes, and celebrating diversity,” Nguon said, were her goals for launching Banh Mi Media. This, and enabling a dialogue on the importance of viewing all identities equally, she added. So, in addition to podcasts, the platform also involves blog articles and in-person events. She has interviewed French Cambodian film director Rithy Panh and entrepreneur Sok Visal.