A-G's dept scours India on adoption kidnap trail

Posted 4 hours 35 minutes ago

Dozens of children were kidnapped from the streets, their identities changed and put up for adoption. (File photo) (REUTERS: Parth Sanyal )

The Federal Government says it has identified 12 children from India who may have been kidnapped and sold to orphanages before being adopted by unsuspecting Australian families.

An investigation by the Foreign Correspondent program has revealed some of the families are now seeking legal help to make contact with the birth parents of their adopted youngsters.

The child trafficking scam centres on two orphanages in Chennai.

Dozens of children were kidnapped from the streets, their identities changed and put up for adoption.

Attorney-General Robert McClelland says he sent two departmental officers to India to investigate last month.

He says the Government will offer counselling and consider legal aid for Australians wanting to trace the birth families of their adopted children.

"We're trying to do everything we reasonably can to prevent or effectively further a crime that has emanated from the worst crime, namely the abduction of children," he said.

Canberra couple Julia and Barry Rollings have reunited their adopted siblings Akil and Sabila with their birth mother.

They had always believed the children had been given up willingly, but two years ago they discovered they had been stolen from their mother and sold to an orphanage in Chennai.

The Rollings have returned to Chennai and the family has an ongoing relationship with their children's birth mother.

But as many as 30 other Indian adoptees are suspected to have been trafficked, with their Australian families unaware of their true background.

"This is a horrific situation for the families in Australia and for those overseas and most importantly for the children," Ms Rollings said.

"Because of that there needs to be special provisions made for support."