Haiti detains 'child trafficker' christians

[Justin]

An American church group was detained by Haitian police yesterday as it tried to bus 33 children across the border into the Dominican Republic, allegedly without proper documents.

http://www.theage.com.au/world/haiti-detains-child-traffickers-20100131-n6e5.html

Another example of the attitude of being above the law.


Source: The Ballarat Atheists (http://www.facebook.com/ballarat.atheists?ref=nf) feed on Facebook

[Iridescence]

While it appears to be a noble goal, they have done themselves a disservice by barging in and taking the law into their own hands. They should have established the orphanage first and THEN opened it for the truly orphaned children.

[atheist_angel]

They shouldn't be in Haiti anyway. They don't seem to be a part of a formal authorized Organized-Relief-Effort. They are BAPTISTS, and they are there with their OWN agenda. And they Frivolously spent church Donations to get there, which were meant for 'Charity'. They are nothing more than Self-Employed Street Hotdog Venders,.. but somehow, they fancy themselves the same as a Corporate Franchise, eventhough they know little about Corporate Law.


I have NO sympathy for these types.

[wearestardust]

I was listening to a story about this on the radio this morning and it is alleged to be even worse than this.

Allegations are that not all of the children are orphans - some of the children claim to have parents still, and authorities say many of the children have family in Haiti.

Children allege that that they were told they were going to boarding school or camp. It is also alleged that the children were hungry and dehydrated.

This is potentially much more serious than do-gooder buffoons thinking they are above proper process; it sounds like they were picking up - in reality, kidnapping - kids off the street.

[Iridescence]

some of the children aren't orphans? :-| well, gee, this is my surprised face. And I agree AA, they most definitely have an agenda.

[mbachelard]

This is the running sheet for the trip to Haiti to pick up kids. More info about the group, too.

At the end there is a plan to build seaside villas to house the children and their "adoptive" American parents.

http://www.esbctwinfalls.com/clientimages/24453/pdffiles/haiti/nlcrhaitianorphanrescuemission.pdf

[Justin]

One girl thought she was being taken to a summer camp (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/01/2806972.htm).

"A spokesman for Unicef in Haiti, Kent Page, says he is amazed the Americans thought their actions were acceptable."

What I dislike is the ulterior motive of creating a "child army" for Jesus that they can release back into the wild later to be their missionary agents. It makes their whole "charity effort" smell a bit off.

[Iridescence]

ew the whole thing is giving me cold chills! :/

[owheelj]

It should be said that the children were taken from an orphanage - it's just that some of them were there because their parents couldn't afford to look after them. I haven't seen a report that tells me if they entered the orphanage before or after the earthquake. In any event it's pretty incredible that the Christian organisation could be so naive/stupid. I guess most likely they meant well, but isn't the road to hell lined with good intentions?

[Sancho]

Given Pat Robertson's carry-on, I very much doubt if this abduction mission would have been mounted if the fundiest fundies didn't believe Haiti is in leagues wit de devil.

[Loki]

Queenslands major "news" paper has a half page story on this today, its only in the last three paragraphs thay they say anything about these people being reality deniers. So much for unbiased reporting. The Australian, owned by the same company, is right up front about it. Interesting.

[TÐöer]

Associated Press: US Baptists knew removing kids was wrong (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100202/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_haiti_earthquake)

Another idiotic, despicable, christian thing to do.

I'm not much bothered about, leaving the country without documents.

More that they were taking the children away from their parents, so that they can indoctrinate them with the same bullshit, that made them into kidnappers in the first place.

Just when I thought it couldn't be worst.

[gruber]

The mistake obviously we made is we did not understand that there was additional paperwork required


Yeh its a easy mistake to make. Go to a country grab some kids and expect to be able to take them over the border without any quesitons asked

[TÐöer]

For any sympathizers to the cause. Imagine, you were hit by an earth quake, you place your child in a make-shift shelter while you, scavenge for food and resources.

You came back, and your child is gone.

The whole campaign reeks of clueless people, anybody who thinks abducting kids, is mercy, are truly deluded.

Who are they to choose which kid gets saved and who doesn't? Why do they think god would want them there, after he destroyed the area?

If they really care, they should distribute AID in that country.

Perhaps set up a temporary orphanage there until the proper authorities can take over, or as a place for parents to find their lost children.

[atheist_angel]

The question remains, was "Adopt our Stolen and Pre-Indoctrinated Kids!" their evil plan... or their stupid, stupid cover story? Their methods of 'rescue' were very predatory. They didn't seem to care about any paperwork whatsoever. You can't 'do' legal adoptions that way... You can't even do 'illegal' adoptions that way!

If they were really sincere, wouldn't they have 'tried' comply with the articles? I hope they investigate this well. It obviously couldn't have been any kind of an honest mistake, at any rate. The guidelines make that clear.
Hague Articles (http://adoption.state.gov/hague/overview/text.html)

Article 1
The objects of the present Convention are –
a) to establish safeguards to ensure that intercountry adoptions take place in the best interests of the child and with respect for his or her fundamental rights as recognized in international law;
b) to establish a system of co-operation amongst Contracting States to ensure that those safeguards are respected and thereby prevent the abduction, the sale of, or traffic in children;
c) to secure the recognition in Contracting States of adoptions made in accordance with the Convention.

Article 4
An adoption within the scope of the Convention shall take place only if the competent authorities of the State of origin –
a) have established that the child is adoptable;
b) have determined, after possibilities for placement of the child within the State of origin have been given due consideration, that an intercountry adoption is in the child's best interests;
c) have ensured that
(1) the persons, institutions and authorities whose consent is necessary for adoption, have been counselled as may be necessary and duly informed of the effects of their consent, in particular whether or not an adoption will result in the termination of the legal relationship between the child and his or her family of origin,
(2) such persons, institutions and authorities have given their consent freely, in the required legal form, and expressed or evidenced in writing,
(3) the consents have not been induced by payment or compensation of any kind and have not been withdrawn, and
(4) the consent of the mother, where required, has been given only after the birth of the child; and
d) have ensured, having regard to the age and degree of maturity of the child, that
(1) he or she has been counselled and duly informed of the effects of the adoption and of his or her consent to the adoption, where such consent is required,
(2) consideration has been given to the child's wishes and opinions,
(3) the child's consent to the adoption, where such consent is required, has been given freely, in the required legal form, and expressed or evidenced in writing, and
(4) such consent has not been induced by payment or compensation of any kind.

etc. etc. etc.

[GenericBox]

Today they have been formerly charged with Child Abduction... Will find out more on the news tonight.

[GenericBox]

http://www.news.com.au/world/ten-charged-with-kidnapping-haiti-kids/story-e6frfkz0-1225826954548

[DavidB]

The saddest part in all this is that there will be hundreds of children who are without parents and without homes after the earthquake. ALL these children need to be cared for and housed, not just the 33 that were 'liberated' by their religionist captors. This care should be provided for them in their own country unless deemed otherwise by appropriate authorities. And by appropriate I mean an organization that has no hidden or private agenda and considers only the children's welfare.

[TÐöer]

Exactly!

Clearly, they wanted their own little pet project. Take home a kid or two, and feel good about it (Guaranteed place in heaven).

What about the other children there?