Tristan

Tristan

A GOVERNMENT legal team and Adoption Board officials will fly to Indonesia this week in a bid to end abandoned Tristan Dowse's nightmare - more than THREE weeks after we revealed his plight to the world.

Tragic Tristan remains in legal limbo and it is still unclear if he will be eligible for re-adoption.

He remains in the Emmanuel orphanage in Jakarta, more than a year after he was dumped by his adopted parents, Irishman Joe Dowse and his wife Lala.

And although 100s of kind-hearted couples have offered Tristan a loving home, he remains in the orphanage and cannot be readopted because legally he is still legally the Dowse's son and, under Irish law, readoption is illegal.

A spokesman for Foreign Affairs minister Dermot Ahern said yesterday a Government legal team will be sent to Indonesia later this week to try to sort out Tristan's future.

Asked what the department hoped to achieve from the visit, the spokesman said: "The only outcome we want is the outcome that is best suited to the child, whatever is in the child's best interest."

The Irish Ambassador for Singapore has visited Tristan in the orphanage - where he has been living since his parents decided the adoption was not working.

The spokesman added: "He's called to the orphanage a number of times this week and last and he had the opportunity to spend some time with Tristan.

"The child seemed in good spirits.

When the ambassador was there there were 23 children in the unlicensed orphanage.

Meanwhile, Joe and Lala Dowse may have to face the High Court here in Ireland so that Tristan can be deleted from the Adoption Register.

A spokesman for the Adoption Board said: "This would be in Tristan's best interests. If Tristan is removed from the register, he will be eligible for readoption by a loving, happy family."

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