Human Predators Stalk Haiti's Vulnerable Kids

[i.b.nora]

Astounding, don't you think? I can hardly wait for the next installment.

By the way, the five who met with the judge today were, Laura and joined at the hip Charisa, Drew, Paul, and McMullin. (And, I keep seeing McMullin's name spelled differently, so maybe he doesn't know and isn't related to the Steve McMullen in Meridian.)

 

[i.b.nora]

Karl Penhault is reporting that those five were taken today, but that the only one actually questioned by the judge was Laura Silsby.

The Dominican attorney was there today, and THREE Haitian attornies. Dominican attorney said that he had a DR document that showed that the Baptists did have permission to take the kids to the DR, but at the end, when he might have shown it to the reporters, he did not.

 

[i.b.nora]

US Baptists' attorney in Haiti: Clients innocent

The AP article via Atlanta Journal

By PIERRE RICHARD LUXAMA
The Associated Press

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — "The new lawyer for 10 American Baptists charged with child kidnapping said Monday he believes they had paperwork to take 33 children out of the country after Haiti's devastating earthquake.

Attorney Aviol Fleurant's remarks came as investigators questioned the Baptist group's leader, Laura Silsby, who insisted she is innocent of any wrongdoing.

"I am trusting in God to reveal all truths and that we will be released and exonerated of charges," Silsby, of Meridian, Idaho, told reporters as she left a courthouse in Port-au-Prince. "We are just waiting for the Haitian legal process to be completed."

#

"Their Dominican lawyer, Jorge Puello, said at a news conference that the Haitian court was going to drop all charges against his clients Wednesday. Puello would not say where that information came from. Last week, he claimed nine of the 10 were about to be released.

"The judge will rule on Wednesday on whether or not to take the case or free them, and we already have assurances that they will drop the case," Puello told The Associated Press."

#

""Many of the parents who had the opportunity to speak out declared, in good faith, to have given their children to the Americans," Fleurant said.

"I also believe, really believe— and I don't want to break the gag order from the court — that the Americans have a document, from somebody, an authorization to take the children with them.""

more . . .

 

[i.b.nora]

Wife puts Culberth on Facebook

Topeka firefighter remains jailed in Haiti with other American missionaries
By Mike Hall
Created February 8, 2010 at 4:29pm
Updated February 8, 2010 at 4:56pm

"Friends of Drew Culberth describe him as the real deal — a genuinely committed Christian doing whatever he can to improve the lives of others."

"Back in Kansas, Drew Culberth's wife Marta has created a group on Facebook asking people to share their thoughts about Drew. People with Facebook accounts can use the search box at the top of the opening page to type in "Drew Culberth" to find the group page.

By late Monday afternoon, more than 600 people had joined the group. Many were people who said they didn't know Drew, but were impressed with his story. Others told of their personal experiences with Drew."

 

[i.b.nora]

Support for detained missionaries showing up on Facebook and Twitter

KTVB Idaho

There is a video and an article at the link

"Five of the missionaries were captured on video being brought back to jail after their court appearance Monday.

Paul Thompson from Twin Falls was questioned by the media as he was led out of the police van.

"Did Laura (Silsby) ever tell you she didn't have all the paperwork for the children?" asked the reporter.

"2 Corinthians 4:7-18," replied Thompson.

"Did Laura tell you she had the proper paperwork?" the reporter inquired again. "Do you feel tricked by her?"

We looked up 2 Corinthians 4: 7-18.

Verses 8 and 9 read, "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."

Meanwhile, there's a new Facebook page called "Bring Paul and Silas Thompson home.""

 

[pinkpuddytat]

The Dominican attorney was there today, and THREE Haitian attornies. Dominican attorney said that he had a DR document that showed that the Baptists did have permission to take the kids to the DR, but at the end, when he might have shown it to the reporters, he did not.

I don't understand why this claim about permission from the DR keeps being mentioned. The DR government has absolutely no authority over the removal of Haitian children from Haiti. Not to mention that Silsby's claims to have any sort of permission to bring children IN to the DR (a *totally* different issue from permission to take them out) has been refuted by DR government officials. But it makes no difference, since no such permission would have made it legal to take the children out of Haiti, and that's what the group was arrested for attempting to do.

 

[i.b.nora]

Anderson Cooper and Sanjay Guptka have returned to Haiti this week to report on how things are going there. (Not good)

Regarding the Baptists, Anderson spoke with Karl Penhaul who reported that a Haitian police officer, who is a witness, said that 'the group' had made a previous attempt, a few days before to spirit 40 kids out of Haiti. He stopped them, asked for paperwork, there was none, he told the kids to go back to wherever, and he told the group (or just Laura?) that they could not just collect kids and take them out of the country without the proper paperwork.

Three days later, the group went to another area, a different area, collected the 33 students and once again tried to spirit them out of the country. That is when they were stopped at the border.

 

[eachandevery]

Anderson Cooper and Sanjay Guptka have returned to Haiti this week to report on how things are going there. (Not good)

Regarding the Baptists, Anderson spoke with Karl Penhaul who reported that a Haitian police officer, who is a witness, said that 'the group' had made a previous attempt, a few days before to spirit 40 kids out of Haiti. He stopped them, asked for paperwork, there was none, he told the kids to go back to wherever, and he told the group (or just Laura?) that they could not just collect kids and take them out of the country without the proper paperwork.

Three days later, the group went to another area, a different area, collected the 33 students and once again tried to spirit them out of the country. That is when they were stopped at the border.

The fact that 'the group' tried this before and were turned away, proves to me that they knew what they were doing was wrong. This wasn't just an "oops, didn't realize we don't have the proper paperwork" kind of deal. I am so glad they were caught before they could take those kids into DR.

 

[i.b.nora]

I don't understand why this claim about permission from the DR keeps being mentioned. The DR government has absolutely no authority over the removal of Haitian children from Haiti. Not to mention that Silsby's claims to have any sort of permission to bring children IN to the DR (a *totally* different issue from permission to take them out) has been refuted by DR government officials. But it makes no difference, since no such permission would have made it legal to take the children out of Haiti, and that's what the group was arrested for attempting to do.

Right. Keep in mind he also said today that the Haitian court was going to drop all charges against his clients Wednesday.

 

[Missizzy]

Can I ask a very simple but heretofore not examined question? Where would Silsby have gotten this "paperwork" when the country is in shambles? I've been to the embassies and visa office in Port au Prince three times. Each time, I camped out for the entire day, had to have the child I was adopting or escorting with me, and had to fight like heck to keep my cool (literally and figuratively) and my place in line. This was in 1988 and 1989--admittedly not in the midst of an earthquake (however, there was a coup in '88).

I'm just not understanding what Silsby or her attorneys are referring to as paperwork. Haiti is notoriously slow about gathering paperwork for anyone leaving the country--whether for work permits, emigration, or adoption. I fail to be able to imagine a working governmental agency in the midst of this chaos which would prioritize travel papers for a group of children to go to the Dominican Republic--a country that has been historically pesky about emigrants from Haiti. From the photos I saw, each child had a piece of tape on their clothing identifying them. This hardly qualifies as "paperwork".

Our daughter's dossier was quite a thick folder with multiple notarized documents, medical records, identifying papers, and photos. Biological families who met in a soccer field concerning a "sojourn" wouldn't have had any reason to have gathered this paperwork. Ask yourself, do you have a dossier prepared for your child--in case of natural disaster--say, for your child to travel to Guatemala with a church group offering to care for your child until you get back on your feet? I don't.

 

[pinkpuddytat]

Missizzy: Apart from the tape on the children's clothing, the only other specific "paperwork" that's been mentioned is a note from the Haitian pastor who lives in Georgia. Aside from how ludicrous it is to claim that this would be sufficient paperwork to legally remove children from the country, this pastor apparently had no direct knowledge of the majority of the children who were on the intercepted bus, who came from a completely different source. Still, the pastor, speaking from Georgia, assured the CBS interviewer that with this note, there shouldn't have been any problem taking the children out of the country. Uh huh.

I'll be seriously annoyed with our government if Silsby gets out of that hellhole of a Haitian jail any time soon. We should bribe them to *keep* her, if necessary.

 

[Melly53]

Can I ask a very simple but heretofore not examined question? Where would Silsby have gotten this "paperwork" when the country is in shambles? I've been to the embassies and visa office in Port au Prince three times. Each time, I camped out for the entire day, had to have the child I was adopting or escorting with me, and had to fight like heck to keep my cool (literally and figuratively) and my place in line. This was in 1988 and 1989--admittedly not in the midst of an earthquake (however, there was a coup in '88).

I'm just not understanding what Silsby or her attorneys are referring to as paperwork. Haiti is notoriously slow about gathering paperwork for anyone leaving the country--whether for work permits, emigration, or adoption. I fail to be able to imagine a working governmental agency in the midst of this chaos which would prioritize travel papers for a group of children to go to the Dominican Republic--a country that has been historically pesky about emigrants from Haiti. From the photos I saw, each child had a piece of tape on their clothing identifying them. This hardly qualifies as "paperwork".

Our daughter's dossier was quite a thick folder with multiple notarized documents, medical records, identifying papers, and photos. Biological families who met in a soccer field concerning a "sojourn" wouldn't have had any reason to have gathered this paperwork. Ask yourself, do you have a dossier prepared for your child--in case of natural disaster--say, for your child to travel to Guatemala with a church group offering to care for your child until you get back on your feet? I don't.

There was a report of Silsby meeting with a Haitian policeman (who worked at the DR embassy) on at least two different occasions. The second meeting took place in a car close to the embassy. According to her translator she came away from that second meeting with a piece of paper. It is my belief that this is where she obtained the supposed document that said she could bring the children to the DR. I wonder how much of a bribe she had to fork over to get it. Remember they were also talking about charging them with criminal association, and I think this might be where that kind of charge would come from.

 

[Melly53]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010...tag=cbsnewsSectionsArea;cbsnewsSectionsArea.0

The U.S.-based lawyer for one of 10 American Baptists charged with child kidnapping in Haiti appealed Tuesday for Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to personally intervene in the case.

Attorneys for detainee Jim Allen said in a letter to Clinton that they are concerned their client may not have adequate legal representation and has not been able to speak with his wife, Lisa, since being arrested in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake.

They said the case was complicated by the chaotic situation in Haiti and asked Clinton to speak directly to Haitian authorities to allow the families of the detainees to talk with them to ensure their well-being.

 

[truckbomb]

The confined Silsby, the other nine, their families and supporters do not seem to realize the seriousness of the charges and the evidence accumulating against all of them. At some point the eight volunteers became part of the conspiracy. That was at least when the group tried to take the first batch of 40 and were stopped by the cop who released the children and warned them all that this activity was unlawful in Haiti. That was the time for the eight to bail but they didn’t. By participating in collecting the second batch, where they were stopped at the border, the eight became active participants in the kidnapping and trafficking,

Silsby and the Nanny have been guilty from the time they first appeared in Haiti scouting out the opportunities. On that visit both can be seen as realizing the legal requirements for adoption. Further instances of being warned add to their criminal intent. Lying to the authorities and other reported deceptions by Silsby cement this intent.

In short, they are all cooked and will be enjoying the hospitality and comfort of the Haitian government for some time to come. Unindicted co-conspirators are found back in Idaho. These are the pastor and those of his flock who funded the criminal enterprise.

 

[Melly53]

The confined Silsby, the other nine, their families and supporters do not seem to realize the seriousness of the charges and the evidence accumulating against all of them. At some point the eight volunteers became part of the conspiracy. That was at least when the group tried to take the first batch of 40 and were stopped by the cop who released the children and warned them all that this activity was unlawful in Haiti. That was the time for the eight to bail but they didn’t. By participating in collecting the second batch, where they were stopped at the border, the eight became active participants in the kidnapping and trafficking,

Silsby and the Nanny have been guilty from the time they first appeared in Haiti scouting out the opportunities. On that visit both can be seen as realizing the legal requirements for adoption. Further instances of being warned add to their criminal intent. Lying to the authorities and other reported deceptions by Silsby cement this intent.

In short, they are all cooked and will be enjoying the hospitality and comfort of the Haitian government for some time to come. Unindicted co-conspirators are found back in Idaho. These are the pastor and those of his flock who funded the criminal enterprise.

Assuming that the story of the previous attempt to transport children is true then it certainly casts a different light on the involvement of the others besides Silsby and Coulter. Given this information it certainly makes it appear that all 10 are guilty because they knew or should have known, that what they were attempting to do was illegal.

WELCOME truckbomb! Hope you enjoy it here and will continue to post.

 

[i.b.nora]

Pastor Paul Thompson and his son Silas didn't even meet Laura and the Meridian folks, until they all met up in Miami!

Detained Idaho pastor's wife keeping a positive attitude

"Renee Thompson says her husband, Paul, and their 19-year-old son, Silas, have been on mission trips together before.

And after seeing the devastation in Haiti, they wanted to go there.

Renee says the East Side Baptist congregation had heard a team from Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian was going to Haiti, so Paul and Silas volunteered, that was one week before they left.

Renee says they had never met Laura Silsby until the full team met up in Miami to fly to the Dominican Republic.

She says her husband didn't know the specifics of the plan, but had planned to stay two to three weeks to help at the orphanage."

and

"Renee concentrates her time and energy on keeping her extended family updated on the situation, and doing everything she can to "bring my boys home."

She has a direct contact with the State Department for updates. And the State Department has started something new.

They are relaying e-mail messages from the families here in Idaho to the detainees in Haiti. When someone from the U.S. Embassy in Haiti visits the missionaries in jail -- they pass on those messages. But the Embassy isn't able to send messages back from the missionaries."

There is more . . .

 

[Missizzy]

Welcome Truckbomb. ITA about the culpability of the entire group. The Prime Minister's words still ring true to me and they were spoken the day after the arrests. "They knew what they were doing was wrong." I also agree that those back in the states who are supporting this debacle are complicit. This needs to be brought to a swift resolution so that the world can back to the business of helping this country. The Baptist 10 have stolen the headlines for far too long. I wonder how they've impacted the charitable donations? It can't be a positive impact, IMO.

"They knew what they were doing was wrong." It doesn't get much clearer than that.

 

[Melly53]

State Department rebuffs call for Clinton intervention in Haiti case


http://www.ktvb.com/news/Hillary-Clinton-asked-to-intervene-in-Haiti-kidnap-case--83940382.html

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will not get directly involved in the case of the 10 Americans detained in Haiti on child abduction charges, a State Department spokesman said Tuesday.

The State Department also has ruled out any special role for former President Bill Clinton in a possible release of the Americans.

 

[i.b.nora]

I usually try to stay away from Opinion pieces but I saw a piece today which is actually more Educational ( to me at least ) than it is opinion.

When Church Groups Go Too Far
The Daily Beast
by Sarah Posner

"From the Baptist 10 charged with child kidnapping in Haiti to a Connecticut man accused of sexually abusing Haitian boys, U.S. missionaries are in trouble—and undersupervised—abroad.

While the world’s attention is focused on 10 Baptist missionaries from Idaho charged with trafficking Haitian children, a less-noticed case of child sex abuse by a Catholic missionary in Haiti is unfolding in federal court in Connecticut—and calling attention to the larger, international problem of American missionaries operating abroad without oversight."

The article is good and informative, I think it is worth a read.

And then, one of the single most offensive statements by the SBC was kind of out of context in an article I posted yesterday which was mostly about Culberth and the Facebook site his wife created for him.

At the end of the article, there were two statements attributed to Southern Baptist Convention mucky mucks. Here is what it said:

"Three leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention have sent a letter to President Barack Obama asking for his help.

"We cannot speak authoritatively about the motives and actions of this particular group of mission volunteers. What we can assure you of, however, is that many Southern Baptists are currently in Haiti — and elsewhere around the world — for the sole purpose of doing whatever is necessary to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the poor, the hungry, and the oppressed," the three men stated. "It is possible that the Baptist mission volunteers currently detained in Haiti have acted with the noblest of intentions in a desperate situation to meet an immediate need. We pray that is the case."

If that sounded like a weak defense of the group, one SBC official offered a stronger appeal.

"Our nation's churches are giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to relief efforts for the people of Haiti," wrote Richard Land, head of the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. "These fine Christian men and women sought to do even more to help alleviate the suffering of some Haitian children. For the Haitian government to respond in this way to the obvious good intentions of these honorable Christians is outrageous.""

I didn't know that is how people who profess to be fine Christians really feel. Now I know.

 

[Missizzy]

Can I point out something astoundingly obvious which we have failed to address. There's been talk of 33 kids, 40 kids, soccer fields, backseat deals, hurried calls, and so on.

We're talking about CHILDREN, for heaven's sake. Small human beings. When I step back and really look at the Baptist 10's actions it seems more akin to picking out 33 baby chicks at the local Grange or goldfish at WalMart. It's as if there's absolutely no consideration given to each child, as unique human beings.

Now if Silsby were grabbing children out of a burning building or sinking boat, that would be different. In a situation like that you just grab and pray you save a child, any child. But this is different. Far different.

Silsby has this "God-appointed plan" which seems framed within the Baptist children's song, "Jesus Loves the Little Children". She's acting as if children are interchangeable in Haiti because, after all, they might not even be "saved". I have to say, as this continues, I get more and more deeply offended for the children and families' sake as each day goes by.

These children have names, histories, personalities, quirks, challenges, gifts. They are each unique. Why does this smack so strongly of saving the Pagan Babies?