Tasmania checks overseas adoptions

Tasmania checks overseas adoptions

August 25, 2008

Ms Giddings says the claims about illegal adoptions are being taken seriously. (ABC News: Cate Grant, file photo)

The State Government is investigating whether Tasmanians have been caught up in an adoption racket involving the kidnapping of Indian children.

Queensland's adoption agency has audited all adoptions of Indian children in that state between 1995 and 2007.

Two of the adoptions involved a company, Malaysian Social Services, which was allegedly involved in kidnapping poor Indian children.

Tasmanian authorities are conducting its own audit of overseas adoptions.

Health and Human Services Minister, Lara Giddings, says claims that the company was also involved in adoptions in Tasmania are being taken seriously.

Ms Giddings says Tasmania has relatively few overseas adoptions but procedures should be in place to ensure such incidents do not occur.