Netherlands lodges appeal against victim of State instigated crimes

A report issued by a State commission in February 2021 concludes that, in intercountry adoption cases from Brazil, the government of the Netherlands was aware of misdeeds in adoptions and the role of Dutch diplomats stationed in Brazil therein but did nothing about them and allowed them to continue.
 
A final court ruling in November 2021 concluded that, by doing so, the Netherlands acted in violation of the victim’s right to identity and knowledge of his parentage. The court therefore ruled that the State is liable for the damage that he has suffered as a result.
 
Three months later, one day before the deadline to lodge appeal, the Netherlands subpoenaed the victim of crimes instigated by a diplomat from the Netherlands stationed in Brazil for the court of appeals.

Whereas, according to the United Nations, the Netherlands should enforce claims from victims of illegal intercountry adoption for recognition and reparation, according to the Dutch Justice Minister victims have no right to enforcement of a final court ruling.

Furthermore, whereas, according to the United Nations, victims of illegal intercountry adoption have the right to full and public disclosure of the truth provided by the government, pursuant legal actions of the Dutch government, victims should be held to a duty of confidentiality concerning the responsibility and role of the Netherlands in illegal intercountry adoption practises.

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UPDATE: 21 May 2024 the court of appeals in the Hague ruled that the State of the Netherlands is not liable in this case. For more information, see the court’s press release (in Dutch).

After denouncement from a Brazilian, the Netherlands suspends international adoptions

«A committee created in the Netherlands after repeated denunciations by Patrick pointed out the responsibility of the state in “various types of abuse that occurred structurally”, and the government interrupted the processes of international adoption in the country.»

For the online Folha de S.Paulo article in PORTUGUESE, click here.

For the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper article in PORTUGUESE, click here.

For the online Estado de S.Paulo article in PORTUGUESE, click here.

For the Estado de S.Paulo newspaper article in PORTUGUESE, click here.

Justice

State Facilitated Illegal Intercountry Adoptions from Brazil

The government of the Netherlands instigated an independent commission in April 2019 to look into international abuses after legal procedures showed that the Dutch government had been involved in illegal adoption from Brazil, and pointed to the possibility of more such cases.
The report issued by the state commission in February 2021, said it had found systematic wrongdoing, including pressuring poor women to give up their babies, falsifying documents, engaging in fraud and corruption, and, in effect, buying and selling children. In cases from Brazil, the Dutch government was aware of misdeeds in adoptions and the role of Dutch diplomats stationed in Brazil therein, but did nothing about them and allowed them to continue. The report also concluded that the role of Dutch diplomats was deliberately left out of the 1984 report of the Dutch police investigation into illegal intercountry adoptions from Brazil.

For the full report, click here.

For the summary of the report, click here.

For the Speech by Minister Dekker upon receipt of the report (DUTCH ONLY), click here.

INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION AND THE RIGHT TO IDENTITY: THE APPLICATION OF THE SUBSIDIARITY PRINCIPLE IN BRAZIL

10 August 2019 – LLM Thesis defended by Patrick Noordoven for the School of Law, University of Brasília, as per prerequisite to obtain the Masters in Law title. «This Thesis is dedicated to all persons who are deprived of their right to identity through intercountry adoption. You all deserve access to your origins, as recognized by human rights law and jurisprudence.»

To access the Thesis, click here.

Dutch government to investigate the role of the State in respect to illegal intercountry adoptions

6 December 2018 – After years of demanding information from the Dutch State about illegal intercountry adoption practices from Brazil, the Justice Minister sent a letter to parliament in which the government announces to instigate an external committee to investigate illegal intercountry adoption in the past. The committee’s mandate comprises the facts and the role of the Dutch government in respect to these adoptions. 

For more information (DUTCH ONLY), click here.

Conférence: Dérives dans l’adoption 2017

On Saturday 18 November 2017 our founder Patrick Noordoven gave a presentation at the Conférence: Dérives dans l’adoption, hosted by La Voix des Adoptés and Born in Lebanon in Paris, France. His presentation was titled “La recherche des familles”.

The presentation made reference to the following two short video clips from 1982; a Dutch TV report explaining the illegal adoption procedure and an interview with Cathia Seeder, providing further insights into the procedures.

The French translation of Patrick’s article “PROMISING PRACTICE: RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT FALSE BIRTH REGISTRATION PRACTICES, KNOWN AS THE BRAZIL BABY AFFAIR” for the ISS publication “Responding to illegal adoptions: A Professional Handbook” was presented at the conference to provide further insights into the issue.

Download the article in Spanish
Download the article in English.
Download the article in French.

Adoption Initiative Conference 2016

On Friday 10 June our founder Patrick Noordoven gave a presentation at the 9th Biennial Adoption Conference “Myth and Reality in Adoption: Transforming Practice Through Lessons Learned” at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey, USA. He contributed to the conference track ‘Adoption Policy and Practice’ and focused his presentation on the topic of “The Human Right to Identity and Intercountry Adoption: False Birth Registration Practices Known as the Brazil Baby Affair”.

Leia mais sobre o evento aqui.

Reportagem de Radio: Brasileiros adotados ilegalmente buscam suas raízes

Desde os anos de 1970, muitas crianças de países em desenvolvimento foram adotadas por pessoas estrangeiras, algumas delas, de forma ilegal. No Brasil, o pico das adoções feitas por estrangeiros foi na década de 1980. Estes bebês são agora adultos, e muitos estão tentando encontrar suas famílias biológicas no Brasil.

A reporter de radio Katy Sherriff acompanhou Louisa em sua busca para descobrir suas origens no Brasil com a ajuda da ONG Brazil Baby Affair.

Ouça a gravação da reportagem em inglês aqui.

Envolvimento do Estado, intermediários e ganho financeiro

Programa de reportagem de TV holandesa “Achter het Nieuws” de 22 de fevereiro de 1982 – Cathia Seeder dá um vislumbre do procedimento de adoção ilegal e denuncia o envolvimento do Estado Holandês nos casos de adoção ilegal. Seeder confessa, posteriormente, ter sido uma “cúmplice auxiliar” para a privação do direito à identidade nos casos de adoção ilegal holandeses, alemães, suecos e norte-americanos; fonte: Relatório da Polícia Holandesa 1984. Você pode assistir ao vídeo aqui.

Charlotte

Charlotte cresceu em um bairro de classe alta em Paris com seus pais adotivos. Ela teve uma infância difícil, sua mãe é bipolar e sue pai, alcóolico.

Ela tinha curiosidade em saber mais sobre sua adoção no Brasil e começou a investigar quando tinha 14 anos. Disseram a ela que tinha sido achada na rua, mas ela não acreditou nessa história.

O que ela descobriu ao buscar a verdade foi surpreendente: nenhum de seus papéis da adoção – que eram guardados em segredo – fazia sentido, e suas perguntas sobre suas origens no Brasil permaneceram sem resposta.

Leia mais sobre este caso aqui.

Defendendo os Direitos da Criança

Reportagem da TV holandesa “Achter het Nieuws” 22 de fevereiro 1982 – Advogada de direitos humanos Lia Junqueira, do Movimento em Defesa do Menor, defendeu os direitos dos bebês brasileiros que foram traficadas para adoção internacional ilegal. Inclusive o testemunho de Antônio Chaves, juiz no tribunal juvenil de São Paulo. Você pode assistir o vídeo aqui.

 

Louisa

Louisa cresceu em Hamburgo, numa família com 4 irmãos; alguns deles também são adotados. Ela começou a pensar no Brasil quando tinha 14 anos de idade.

Quando estava com cerca de 20 anos, Louisa começou a fazer suas primeiras perguntas à respeito de suas origens brasileiras. Foi difícil para ela não saber nada sobre suas origens. E ainda por cima, ela tinha que lidar com a falta de informação disponível para a busca de sua família original.

Leia mais sobre este caso aqui.