Tens of thousands of people who have been adopted from Sri Lanka to other countries are awaiting answers if their adoption was carried out legally and ethically. It has been more than two and a half years since the Sri Lankan Minister of Health acknowledged that irregularities had been committed regarding foreign adoptions. The investigation into the alleged illegal adoptions does not even seem to have begun in Sri Lanka, writes Daniel Cidrelius.

A legal process should be initiated at transnational level to prosecute those who have traded with people in adoption contexts, whether for financial gain or in connection with individuals' desire to start a family. Adopted persons can never be rehabilitated until those responsible have been held accountable.

However, this may encounter problems as the adoptions from, for example, Sri Lanka to Sweden took place in the past, which is why in a legal context it may have taken too long to bring charges. It can also be argued that laws in the context of adoption were not drafted during the beginning of the intensive adoption activity and that laws over the years have been changed to counteract the irregularities. Trafficking in human beings in all its forms, however, has been banned since the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.

Many adoptions can be the subject of criminal acts

Politicians, government officials, adoptive parents, adoptees and people in general know, of course, that trafficking in children for adoption is a crime and can be seen as part of a cross-border organized crime. Of course, not all adoptions that have taken place over the years have been part of an organized trade. But many adoptions can be the subject of criminal acts. Therefore, it is important that the adoptions from other countries to Sweden are investigated. Thus, adoptees can get an answer as to whether their particular adoption was carried out in a legal and ethical manner.

Chinese internet giants, including Tencent and Q&A platform Zhihu vowed to investigate and shut down chatrooms and messages on baby trafficking through illegal adoptions after widespread anger emerged over online platforms that help child trafficking. The move comes after a foster father was accused of raping his adopted daughter.

An 18-year-old girl has accused her adoptive father Bao Yuming, a lawyer, of sexually abusing her since she was 14 when Bao illegally adopted her through an online platform.

Media reports have revealed that online adoption has been a gray industry that thrives on social media platforms, including Tencent QQ, and Zhihu, spawning an industrial chain with services ranging from baby adoption to household registration.

Zhihu was reported to be full of illegal messages and posts, with some even listing prices starting at 100,000 yuan. The internet company responded on Monday and said they have since cleared all illegal child trafficking advertising and permanently closed accounts that were connected to such services.

Tencent announced on Tuesday it would increase security efforts against crimes involving illegal online child adoption.

"The first question anybody asks my child is: 'Tumhaare papa kahaan hain?' (Where is your father?). It is a normal question. But I tell them she does not have a father."

As a society, we have evolved a lot over the years. But, there still exist some constructs. The concept of family and parenthood, for instance, is still viewed from the prism of old-school understanding. There has to be mother and a father, who together, will then raise a child. But, what about those who are raised by a single parent? And if there is no co-parent in the picture at all?

There are many stories of people opting to adopt children and raise them as their own. They do it with or without their families, regardless of their marital status. And Supriya Deverkonda’s story is one of them. The 40-something Gurugram-based analytics expert, who works at a multinational company shares her motherhood journey with Express Parenting.

“My decision to become a mother and adopt a child was not a spontaneous one. My parents were always supportive, and they never had an issue with it. My mother did mention marriage. She asked me if I could marry someone first, and I said okay. In 2012, I had waited enough and did not find any compatible partner. That is when I decided to go ahead for adoption,” she tells us.

Deverkonda then went ahead and registered under the old Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) system. Since 2017, the system has changed a bit and everything has become more centralised and digital.

Parliament Majority for a Lex Little Heart

by

TT

PUBLISHED: THU 09 APR 2020

UPDATED: THU 09 APR 2020

see attachment

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

DUPAGE COUNTY, Ill. — A West Chicago couple is finally back together with their family after they were stranded in India while picking up their adoptive daughter.

The couple was stuck in India for 21 days while their two other children were waiting for them back in Illinois.

“We’re very excited to be home, a little tired, but we’re glad to be home,” Chris Santa Maria said.

“Basically we got there March 1. We were moving along with the adoption paperwork and then in the middle of it this lockdown occurs and everything shuts down. Once the lockdown came in, we weren’t able to travel at all,” Chris said.

DUPAGE COUNTY, Ill. — A West Chicago couple is finally back together with their family after they were stranded in India while picking up their adoptive daughter.

The couple was stuck in India for 21 days while their two other children were waiting for them back in Illinois.

“We’re very excited to be home, a little tired, but we’re glad to be home,” Chris Santa Maria said.

“Basically we got there March 1. We were moving along with the adoption paperwork and then in the middle of it this lockdown occurs and everything shuts down. Once the lockdown came in, we weren’t able to travel at all,” Chris said.

India announced two different dayslong lockdowns to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while the couple was there.

Commissie geeft CBS opdracht voor vragenlijstonderzoek interlandelijk geadopteerden

De Commissie Onderzoek Interlandelijke Adoptie in het Verleden heeft het Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek opdracht gegeven een groot aantal interlandelijk geadopteerden te vragen naar hun persoonlijke situatie.

Waarom eigenlijk?

Tjibbe Joustra geeft daarop antwoord: “De Commissie vindt het belangrijk om te weten hoe het gaat met geadopteerden die uit andere landen naar Nederland zijn gekomen. Wat is hun levensstijl en wat zijn hun opvattingen? We willen bijvoorbeeld weten hoe ze aankijken tegen hun eigen adoptie. Hoe is of was hun relatie met hun opvoeder? Hoe zijn hun sociale contacten, hoe is het met hun gezondheid? Maar ook: zoeken ze naar hun roots? Of voelen ze zich gediscrimineerd? Dat soort belangrijke, persoonlijke vragen.”

Wie worden er allemaal benaderd?

Verschueren, drs. K. - BD/CBJ/JIZ

Attachments

7 Apr 2020, 09:14

to me

Geachte mevrouw Post,

An Ethiopian-born New Zealand citizen has been refused permission to adopt her sister's four teenage children and bring them to Wellington for a better life.

The woman was misguided as to what was in the children's best interests, a High Court judge said.

The woman, 39, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, sent money to help support the children whose parents have not been heard from since about 2013.

The children were aged 19, 18, 16 and 15 years. The woman said she would continue to send money for their care.

They wanted to come to New Zealand but also wanted other family members to come too, including the aunt who looked after them since birth.