Elsa Garcia was taken from Baptist Children's Home in Valparaiso, IN by Baptist Minister Joseph and Evangeline Combs in 1978 at 4 months old. Raised as Esther Combs, she was never adopted, although believed she had been. She was sexually abused by Joseph  Combs and beaten by Evangeline. Mrs. Combs beat her with a baseball bat, burned her with a curling iron and pulled out chunks of her flesh with pliers, causing more than 400 scars on her body. She was beaten with a hose. She was treated as a family servant and did not attend school or homeschool.

The Combs were arrested in 1998. Joseph Combs was sentenced to 114 years in prison for kidnapping, rape, assault and perjury. Evangeline Combs was sentenced to 65 years for kidnapping and child abuse.

David Christy, a British man who ran the Jari Children's Village from 1994 to 1997, as an employee of Swiss-based aid agency Terre des Hommes, sexually abused dozens of boys over the years and allowed known paedophiles to come to his Addis house and the village to abuse children.

4-year-old girl adopted by Mary Perkins was allegedly beaten to death by her adoptive mother. There were also signs Angel had been sexually abused. Angel Martin was adopted six months prior to her death.

Christopher Allen Tucker and Rebecca Lynn Tucker first adopted Danielle, who at the age of four was pushed down the stairs by her adoptive mother, in their house in Coldwater, Michigan in December 8, 1995. At the time it was ruled an accident. Danielle was born with spina bifida and Down's Syndrome. Despite what had happened, the Tuckers were allowed to adopt two of Danielle's sisters a month after her death.

Soon afterwards, the Tuckers moved to Trenton, Utah after complaints had been made about abuse the of Brittany, one of Danielle's sisters.

In November 1997 authorities found Brittany, 6-year-old at the time, starving in a locked basement room. The basement room was furnished only with bare metal bedsprings, a wooden spool, and a metal tub containing dirty brown water, which the girl drank from and bathed in. She had been in there for at least 5 months.

Rebecca Tucker received a sentence of 5 year imprisonment for the abuse of Brittany and 8 to 15 years for the killing of Danielle. She is currently imprisoned Michigan. Chris Tucker received a sentence of 1 to 15 year imprisonment.

All 3 girls suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome. Two biological boys and the 3rd girl where apparently unhurt.

Three year old girl from Tegucigalpa Honduras, adopted by Nancy Jane Montalbano on Oct. 28, 1996. Almost a year later she was beaten to death by Nancy after she knocked over the potty. Christine has 28 blunt force injuries including a lacerated liver and brain hemorrhage. Nancy also had a 4 year old son, Richard, adopted previously from Honduras.
At the time of the girl's death, Nancy was living with a common-law husband, who was not charged in the case.

Adoptive parents were found guilty of abusing 2 Russian children they adopted in Voronezh, Russia, on the plane ride on the way home from Moscow. The girls were returned to live with Karen and Richard Thorne of Phoenix. The Queens Family Court Judge ordered that the Thornes would be subject to unannounced visits by Arizona Child Welfare authorities and undergo psychological evaluation as a condition of regaining custody.

2-and-a-half-year old boy adopted by Sharonda Renita White and Roshied White, was beaten to death by his adoptive mother, who was also his half-sister.

28 children, many special needs, adopted by Kathy and Dan Blackburn while they were missionaries in Haiti. Parents divorced after 30 year marriage and both alleged the other parent was guilty of child abuse. Initially Dan was granted custody of the minor children, he lost it after the children were neglected.

David Alexander Polreis age 2, of Greeley, Colorado was beaten to death. Over 90% of David's body was covered in cuts, which his adoptive mother, Renee Polreis, claimed was due to the boys severe RAD. Renee stated that David would hit himself with a wooden spoon. Husband, David Polreis, Sr. was out of town at time of attack and was not implicated. Rene Polreis was convicted of child abuse resulting in death and sentenced to 18 years in prison. David was adopted from Tula, Russia 6 months before his death.