Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Sorry for no official statements yet on the investigation being over.
An email:

With all this talk about the investigation being over, I thought I’d tell you that our agency says there are two different investigations. There was the overall investigation into why there was such an increase in abandonment cases, and there was also a separate investigation into police corruption. A policeman signed clearances for 17 children before their abandonment period was up. I’d like to know which investigation is over, because if it’s just the police investigation, then they still need to decide how to handle abandonment cases which is why the ban is still in place.

*Note: I’ve heard that the policeman was giving clearances to children after a week, instead of the required 60 days.

7 comments:

  1. It is new to me, that there are/were two seperated investigations.
    If there is only one investigation, which is over, I am really afraid that we still have to wait and wait until the second one is also over and the ban will be lifted.

    Concerning the special investigation on this policeman, I understand that the officials had to react immidiately.
    But for the general investigation, I think, this should not concern the abandonment cases that already had court dates.
    This is -in my opinion- something they should find solutions for concerning future abandonment cases, which are not having court dates by now and which are not already accepted. by MOWA...

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  2. I read on the big yahoo group that someone got a court date for their abandoned child when it was only a month old, and remember thinking that was weird since there is a 2 month wait before you can go to court. I wonder if their case was one of these 17 cases they're investigating.

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  3. I believe that you can get a court date before the 60 day wait period is up, as long as you have the police clearance before the actual court date. Perhaps that is why the family received a referral for a one month old. I think they call those "soft" referrals, knowing that if the 60 day wait time is not up, somebody could come back and claim the child or the police could decide not to issue the clearance.

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  4. ...because children have to stay 60 days in the orphanage untill they go to the agency home´s...It´s true? Thank you.
    Maria

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  5. Anonymous, if I remember correctly they were referred the abandoned baby when he was a newborn, and their court date was actually just one month later. I could be wrong, and I tried to look through the archives to follow up and couldn't find it.

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  6. Just another reason not to get excited about rumors until facts are announced on official sites such as the State Department's website. At this point I am so furious that the Ethiopian government is not doing what is in the best interest of the children who have been cleared, are clear and always will be clear! It is completely outrageous. At first the commitment to maintaining ethical standards was admirable - now it is hard to believe that this investigation is helping children who already had court dates. AGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  7. AGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I agree totally.

    Nothing more to say, but they are not acting in the interest of these children, who are "cleared".

    At the moment I am so disappointed about the Ethiopian authorities.

    Always the same, the interests of the children are the least, that are important :-(

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