Haiti judge questions US group over children
Judge questions US group over 'child smuggling'
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By Matt Hallam. |  |
Wednesday, 03, Feb 2010 04:57
By Richard James.
A Haitian judge has questioned a group of Americans accused of trying to kidnap and smuggle 33 children out of the country following last month's devastating earthquake.
The group of US church activists claim they were in the process of rescuing abandoned children and taking them to an orphanage in the Dominican Republic when they were arrested on the border.
Haitian officials though claim the group from the charity New Life Children's Refuge had no permission to take the children; with a number of people coming forward claiming to be their parents.
On Tuesday the judge interviewed the five women detained and will question the five men later. Judge Isai Pierre-Louis has declared he will only decide after the questioning whether to charge the Americans.
The ten are continuing to be held at the police headquarters in the capital of Port-au-Prince and have been continually speaking to western media during the week protesting their innocence.
Contradicting reports have emerged over how they are being treated, with some reports quoting claims the group are being kept in poor conditions, and others suggesting the opposite.
The historic quake on January 22nd has left an estimated 200,000 people dead in Haiti and another 1.5 million homeless.
The continuing chaos across the country has resulted in elections planned for the end of this month and the start of March to be delayed indefinitely.
Aid agencies and Haitian officials have claimed it may take the Caribbean nation years to recover for the worst earthquake to strike the country in 200 years.
Despite millions of dollars being committed to the international relief effort, essential aid is continuing to struggle to reach those desperately in need of help.
The almost non-existent infrastructure in the country plus a lack of organisation in the aid effort have been blamed for the delays.