Yesterday, I was in such a peaceful place, until I read the plea linked in this post, last night, I went to bed angry. Angry that any adoptee has to have this as their adoption story.
An international adoption agency staff person pled guilty yesterday in a South Carolina court to providing fraudulent documents to the State Department and to bribing Ethiopian officials. The tragedies created by these actions are unforgivable, and families in the US and in Ethiopia continue to suffer as a result. The ramifications for other adoption agencies and the scrutiny they now find themselves under will be intense–I hope. Particularly important will be Ethiopia’s reaction to the bribing of officials there in the name of international adoption.
Alisa Bevins, former director of Ethiopia programs in the US for the adoption agency International Adoption Guides, yesterday pled guilty to fraud in Ethiopia adoptions. She admitted that she, along with others, submitted fraudulent documents to the US State Department and paid bribes to Ethiopian officials in order to facilitate adoptions.
The “others” would be Mary Mooney, former executive director of IAG, James Harding, former programs director…
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IdealisticRebel
August 12, 2014 at 4:46 am
This is a very upsetting story. I am shocked and at the same time I am not. We really don’t give kids our best efforts and if money can be made…all the better. Hugs, Barbara
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TAO
August 12, 2014 at 3:55 pm
thanks Barbara – it is a very sad, even sadder this does not appear to be an isolated event.
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