Verona, 29 - 31 March

One of the speakers Marco Griffini

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The prosecutor has closed the procedure initiated by the previous management of the international adoptions commission for a series of irregularities in the Congo. Griffini: the end of a nightmare

Adoptions, now the long season of poisons is officially over. The Milan Public Prosecutor has definitively closed the proceeding initiated by the previous Cai management (International Adoption Commission) against Aibi, one of the most important institutions authorized for adoptions , for a series of serious irregularities concerning the adoption procedures in Congo. In practice, Aibi was accused of getting the green light for adoptions by the authorities of the African country behind the payment of bribes.

The minors, according to the charges made by the Cai to the Milanese institution, would have been taken away from the families of origin, imprisoned in fact in the orphanage, and then "sold" to Aibi that provided to transfer them to Italy to families awaiting adoption. But none of this really happened. The Public Prosecutor's Office ordered the filing "due to the groundlessness of the crime report".

The news takes on a significance that goes beyond the dispute between Cai's past management and the Aibi. It marks the end of a long period that has seen heavy shadows lengthen over the entire system of adoptions, when a crisis of confidence was added to the general collapse of the arrival of children in Italy, but also in the West, which undermined the credibility of the institutions , the relationships with adoptive families, the long-established collaboration between juvenile courts and central control body (precisely the Cai).

"The end of a nightmare that has upset our lives for almost six years. And it has made it almost impossible for us to work and for our families to continue the adoptive path in a serene way. But do we realize what it means for an institution that deals with international adoption to go ahead with the suspicion of stealing children, of buying them in Africa and then reselling them in Italy? ". He has the voice broken off to Marco Griffini, founder and president of Aibi, while commenting on the decree of archiving of the Court of Milan that on March 5 last dissolved all doubts. In the 600 pages of accusations put together by the previous Cai manager, Silvia Della Monica, against Aibi, there is no news of a crime.

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SALLY FRYDENLUND LARSEN

09 MAR. 2019 KL. 6.30| UPDATED 09 MAR. 2019 KL. 09:37

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SENIOR SPECIALIST POLICY

Police arrested Rajesh Chaurasia for selling his new born baby from an illicit relationship. He sold the infant to a Pune family. The accused has also been booked under sections 376 and 370 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

A 40-year-old man has been arrested in Panchgani on charges of child trafficking -- under sections 80 and 81 of the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act, 2000.

Police arrested Rajesh Chaurasia for selling his new born baby from an illicit relationship. He sold the infant to a Pune family.

The accused has also been booked under sections 376 and 370 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Chaurasia had an illicit relationship with a 23-year-old divorcee.

War-babies

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War-babies are referred to here as babies born to Bangali women consequent of their being raped by Pakistani soldiers and other criminals who took advantage of the situation of the war of liberation (March to December 1971). While they are referred to as the 'unwanted children', the 'enemy children', the 'illegitimate children', and more contemptuously, the 'bastards', their birth-mothers are also variously referred to as the 'violated women', the women', the 'distressed women', the 'rape victims', the 'victims of military repression', the 'affected women' and the 'unfortunate' women. Many birth-mothers committed suicide in order to avoid social stigma. Many pregnant women went to India and other places either to terminate pregnancies or arrange deliveries. Many babies were born at home. But unfortunately, accurate or fairly reliable statistics are not available for any of these categories of victims. The situation has led us to make guesswork and presumptions about the number and fate of war-babies. Some limited evidences are to be found in government and non-government organisations records, and in records of foreign missions and missionary organisations.

An Italian medical survey, for example, put the number of victims at 40,000, the London-based International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) estimated it at 200,000. Dr. Geoffrey Davis, a social worker dealing with the management of war-babies at the time argued that the number could go higher. How many victims got pregnant and delivered babies is absolutely uncertain. A government estimate put it at 300,000. But the methodology adopted for reaching this figure was not sound. According to Dr. Davis, about 200,000 women became pregnant. But it was only his guess, not a study.

Newspaper reports of the time, which included interviews of Justice KM Sobhan, Chairperson, BWRP, Sister Margaret Mary of Missionaries of Charity, Dr. Geoffrey Davis, the IPPF personnel such as Odert von Shoultz, reveal that 23,000 abortions were performed at various Dhaka clinics by a team of British, American and Australian doctors, with assistance from some Bangali counterparts. In a sense, it makes the most comprehensive information on abortion in early 1972, following the arrival of the foreign doctors in Dhaka who set up several abortion/delivery clinics referred to as Seba Sadan in Dhaka.

The charges against Ai.Bi. they are totally unfounded. Written an end to the poison season. Thanks to Ai.Bi. to families, supporters and friends

Marco Griffini, president of Ai.Bi. "On behalf of the Association I thank all those who believed in the groundlessness of the accusations made against Ai.Bi. and gave us the strength and determination to continue, with renewed enthusiasm, the road taken together over 35 years ago "

Respecting the families and minors involved in the story of adoptions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the main victims, Amici dei Bambini thanks and expresses deep and immense gratitude to those who, and they are many, have believed in the groundlessness of the accusations, showing solidarity, esteem and affection towards Amici dei Bambini and his collaborators.

Confidence in carrying out the delicate role of defense and protection of the right of every child to live and grow in the family, which is reflected in the decision of the Court of Milan to proceed with the filing of investigations into alleged irregularities in the adoptive procedures of Amici dei Bambini in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Accepting the request of the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office of 2 January 2018, presented to the GIP on 15 February 2018, the Milan Court of 5 March 2019 filing decree orders the dismissal of the preliminary investigation procedure for "groundlessness of the crime report", therefore all the accusations made against the top management of Ai.Bi. they are totally devoid of any foundation.

CHENNAI: The Australian federal government recently said ‘orphanage tourism’ was modern slavery and a scam, making it clear that they will cut off support to overseas orphanages from Australian schools an universities after concerns of exploitation and abuse surfaced. The move was lauded by Tamil Nadu child rights activists, who for long have been crying foul over the surreptitious association of foreign tourists with some orphanages here. They have demanded that authorities impose a total ban on foreigners and volunteers visiting these facilities because the present rules to monitor and check interaction of foreigners with children in homes are ignored. The few cases of abuse that are reported are an fraction of the problem, say activists, as without stringent laws and its proper execution it is difficult to pin down the violators.

For foreigners to visit orphanages, now called childcare institutions, they must get a volunteer visa and a volunteer certificate from their country. But, senior officials at the social defence department too said they rarely receive such applications from foreign volunteers. Apart from this it is mandatory for the children’s home to submit an application with the directorate of social defence and district child protection unit, who conduct a background check of the volunteer. "These procedures are hardly followed. Many times management of the home hides such dealings," said G Renuka, child rights activist and former member of the Kancheepuram Child Welfare Committee.

Collector of Thiruvannamalai K S Kandasamy said, "We have noticed that a majority of orphanages are run as businesses, sustained by well-intentioned foreigners who donate and spend time with children at the campus. This also makes the children more vulnerable," he said. Kandasamy recalled a recent incident where a girl was allegedly taken to a foreign donor’s place late in the night. "We got a tip but by the time we reached, the child was brought back and refused to answer," he said. Last year, the CWC had fined an NGO for allowing a group of foreign volunteers to stay at an orphanage in Kancheepuram. "Those who visit from within the country must also fall under this ambit. The danger is from all ends," said Andal Damodaran president of the Indian Council for Child Welfare (Tamil Nadu).

Experts say there is no check now to prevent sex offenders who choose professions which give them access and proximity to children through institutions.

According to a recent report by the ministry of women and child development, TN has 1,647 registered childcare institutions housing more than 87,000 children. It also showed that children living in at least 600 of these homes were mistreated. "We must focus on providing alternative care such as sponsorship, fostercare and adoption. Institutionalization must be the last resort," said Sugata Roy, Unicef communication specialist.

PANAJI: With a low fertility rate of 1.76 children born per woman, an increasing number of Goan couples are looking at adoption. While this seems

like a win-win situation in most other states, the scenario in Goa is not optimal for adoption.

In Goa, Caritas in Panaji, and Matruchaya in Ponda, are the only qualified agencies to give children up for adoption under the Central Adoption

Resource Authority (CARA) guidelines. While Matruchaya puts up five or less children for adoption annually, Caritas says they have roughly a dozen

children looking for a new home every year. These numbers are not enough to meet the adoption needs of the state.

A United Nations special rapporteur has said there is an urgent need for a comprehensive examination of forced and illegal adoptions here and warned the State’s investigation into mother and baby homes “is not broad enough to uncover the full scale of illegal adoptions”.

Maud de Boer-Buquicchio found significant issues with the “limited scope” of the commission of investigation into mother and baby homes.

Ms de Boer-Buquicchio, the special rapporteur on the sale and exploitation of children, has also claimed there is “a culture of silence” in Ireland around issues of childhood sexual abuse and exploitation.

She said there was limited data on child abuse, and what was available “cannot clarify the number of cases of sex abuse and exploitation of children that make it to court and their outcomes”.

The special rapporteur visited Ireland for a week last May, when she met government representatives, Tusla, gardaí and others.