exposing the dark side of adoption
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Cases

abuse case
The assumption behind child-placement is that the safety and living conditions of a child improve. These cases demonstrate that this assumption is often invalid.
child trafficking case
There is often a fine line between adoption and child trafficking. In many cases this line is being crossed.
coerced adoption case
Adoption is assumed to be the result of a choice made by the parents of the child. These cases demonstrate women are pressured to give up their children.
deportation case
Adoptions before 1997, didn't automatically lead to naturalization. As result, people adopted from outside the outside US that ran into problems with the justice system face deportation to their country of birth.
disrupted placement case
Although the adoptive family is called the "forever family" by the adoption industry, adoptions can end in disruption. These cases demonstrate that the "forever family" is sometimes only temporary
father's rights violation case
Adoption requires the consent of both biological parents. These cases demonstrate that the rights of fathers in adoption cases are being violated.
wrongful medication case
Children in foster care can have serious mental health issues. Too often these children are given large doses of psychotropic medications, just to keep them quiet.
wrongful removal case
The removal of children from their family's should always be a last resort. These cases demonstrate that Child Protective Services sometimes remove children for all the wrong reasons
disrupted placement case
1962 Dec 29
Found by nuns on a street in Pusan Korea, she was placed in a Catholic orphanage until 1963 when at age 2, she was sent to the US to be adopted. At 4 years old, after her adoptive parents-to-be learned she was mentally retarded, her adoption paperwork was stopped. For 13 years after that, she was shuffled among foster homes and institutions, including 3 years in a Kentucky nursing home.

Hee Ja Byun or Hee Ja Byan, know as Lisa, spent 5 years as the lone, mentally retarded, socially deprived girl among 36 elderly women at St. Elizabeth's Mental Hospital, which was not equiped  to help children learn.

In 1979, when she was 17 years old, a D.C. Superior Court judge ordered the District government to send her to a West Virginia school for the retarded where, for the first time, she would receive personalized attention. In his order, the judge said "The experts agree that H.J.B. is both functionally and organically retarded. While it is possible that her brain has suffered some damage, most of the retardation probably developed from deprivation of cultural and family influence."

Wendy Kay Ott

public
abuse case
1957 Jun 1
Girl adopted by Howard and Edith Ott. Mrs. Ott was indicted for second degree murder in the death of 22 month old Wendy from Korea. Wendy had head trauma. There were 3 other adopted children in the household. 2 caucasian, and Timothy (19 months) also from Korea who was placed in the home along with Wendy in October 1956. Outcome of the case is unknown. Apparently the Otts adopted at least 2 more korean girls (twins) in 1958.

Wendy and Timothy were among the first 100 Korean children brought to the US by the Holts.
child trafficking case
1957 Jan 27
General articles on child trafficking for adoption
See also Guatemala / Costa Rica case
coerced adoption case
1952 Jan 20
18 year old Winnie Faye Higginbotham Yarber was separated from her husband and became pregnant by another man. She was coerced by Lenora Fielding to use a false name on adoption documents. She inquired about keeping her child and was rebuffed. Adoption papers listed the child as Baby Boy Barnwell.

Eight days after the birth the child later known as Michael Chalek, went home with Alex and Adela Chalek, who bought him for $200 from baby broker Lenora Fielding. The Chaleks had hidden prior domestic violence and promiscuity issues in their adoption paperwork which would have prohibited an adoption.

Michael was physically and sexually abused by his adoptive parents. Michael Chalek had his adoption annulled and a new birth certificate issued with his birth mother's name. Michael Chalek's website: http://www.adoption-fraud.com/
abuse case
1950
For decades the Sisters of Nazareth ran institutions in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Australia. Abuse in these facilities was endemic.
abuse case
1950
For decades migrant children from England were sent to Bindoon, Australia, where the were both physically and sexually abused by the Christian Brothers, running the orphanage.