Yesterday, the 'Committee for the Investigation of Intercountry Adoption in the Past' published its report containing its findings on abuses in intercountry adoptions. The Committee concludes that there were serious abuses in intercountry adoptions in various countries. The Commission confirms that the Dutch government and the relevant intermediary organizations were aware of these abuses. However, the government has failed to act against these abuses and in some cases has even been involved in these abuses. The Committee also finds that the system of intercountry adoptions cannot prevent abuses and therefore advised the government to temporarily stop intercountry adoptions.
The Minister for Legal Protection, Sander Dekker, has decided to follow this advice and temporarily ban intercountry adoptions. Furthermore, he has announced that, in response to the report, he will no longer invoke a claim to a statute of limitations in proceedings of adoptees against the State. The State did so before, for example in the proceedings that Dilani Butink had brought against the State for her wrongful adoption from Sri Lanka. By withdrawing the invocation of the statute of limitations, the Minister now acknowledges that his earlier position was unreasonable. Dilani Butink is represented by Lisa-Marie Komp.
For an English summary of the report, see p. 139 of the report and further.
For previous news about the events leading to the installment of the commission, see here.