Haiti arrests US nationals over child 'abductions'

There are a couple of open threads about this floating around there...

www.abovetopsecret.com...
www.abovetopsecret.com...

But since this one is the longest, I'm just going to update this one.

Haiti judge: Detained Americans should be released

Judge Bernard Saint-Vil must now send his recommendation to the prosecutor, who may agree or object, but the judge has the final authority to decide whether they stay in custody or go free.

Saint-Vil said he was making his recommendation a day after questioning the Americans and hearing testimony from parents who said they willingly gave their children to the Baptist missionaries, believing they would educate and care for them.

"After listening to the families, I see the possibility that they can all be released," Saint-Vil told The Associated Press. "I am recommending that all 10 Americans be released."

Later, Saint-Vil said he would recommend provisional freedom for the detainees while the investigation continues. But it wasn't clear whether their possible release means they would be allowed to leave Haiti, or what implications the judge's decision could have on whether the charges may be dropped.

Taking children from their home country and transporting them somewhere else is one of the definitions of Genocide. Literally.

Well this case sure has it twists and turns - and it this interesting news item just came out.

Adoption `lawyer' tied to child sex case

SANTO DOMINGO -- The man providing legal advice to American church workers charged with trying to take children out of Haiti did jail time in the United States for bank fraud years before emerging as the key suspect in a child prostitution ring in El Salvador, according records and interviews.

Whoa - now this doesn't look good.

In addition to being tied to child prostitution in El Salvador he's wanted by the US Marshals for bank fraud, he does not seem to even be a lawyer. For what its worth he also claims to be president of the the Sephardic Jewish Community in the Dominican Republic. However, they say they have never heard of him.

Whatever their motives - being linked to this character does not make the church workers look good.

Regardless of their intentions, they broke the law by attempting to transport these kids to another country without permission. Ignorance of the law does not prevent prosecution if you are caught breaking it, although it could be grounds for a more lenient sentence.