US Missionaries Accused of Trafficking

By Stephen Kopko

Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - In wake of the devastating earthquake that has crippled the country of Haiti, ten American missionaries have been accused of trafficking Haitian children. The ten missionaries were arrested at the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic and their preliminary trial began today.

The Baptist missionaries represent the New Life Children's Refuge. On January 28, 2010, the missionaries and the children set off for the Dominican Republic, where an orphanage is located. However, they were arrested at the border before they arrived at the orphanage. The missionaries did not have the proper documentation required to bring the children to the orphanage.

The missionaries defend their actions. They believed that they did not need the documentation that proved the children were orphans and had permission to leave the country with the children. They believed that they had the consent of local pastor's to provide the children with better lives after the earthquake destroyed the villages where the orphans resided. Their actions were defended by Pastor Clint Henry of the Central of the Valley Baptist Church in Idaho. He stated, "I can assure you that the intent of our group going down there had absolutely nothing to do with kidnapping and everything to do with helping a desparate situation in Haiti."

The Haitian government did not take the same view as the missionaries. They believe that the missionaries are kidnappers. Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive and Justice Minister Paul Denis want the missionaries to be tried and stated that even though Haiti has been devastated by the earthquake they are still a country and laws need to be obeyed. According to Haitian officials, the government stopped all adoptions after the earthquake. The Haitian government feared that people would take Haitian children for illegal adoptions or sell the children into slavery or prostitution. Therefore, Prime Minister Bellerive's signature was required before any child could be taken out of Haiti after the earthquake.

Since the arrest, Haitian officials have discovered that some of the children are not orphans and have parents. Some of the children were taken by the missionaries with their parents permission. The parents believed that the missionaries could offer a better life for their children. However, the missionaries may have misrepresented the reasons why they were offering to take the children to the Dominican. According to Issac Adrien, a worker for the Baptist group, the parents were told that the missionaries were going to take their children and educate them. Later, the children would be returned to their parents. Nevertheless, some people believe that the missionaries were going to prepare the children for adoption.

For more information, please see:

MSNBC - Many Children in Haiti Case Are Not Orphans - 3 February 2010 

NY-TIMES - While Baptist Group is Questioned, Scientologists Are Praised in Haiti - 3 February 2010

ABC NEWS - Haitian Judge to Rule in Child Trafficking Charges Against Americans - 2 February 2010