Human Predators Stalk Haiti's Vulnerable Kids

[Texas Mist]

Interesting article

<snip>

Activist: Haitian Missionaries Knew It Was Illegal
Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Is this a case of human trafficking or do-gooders who failed to cross the t's and dot the i's? You be the judge.

Ronda Kaysen: The 10 Americans who were arrested in Haiti last week for attempting to illegally transport 33 children out of the country ignored warnings that their plans were against the law, an American human rights advocate told the United Nations in an e-mail.

The new revelations paint a darker picture of the Americans who are sitting in a Haitian jail in Port-au-Prince awaiting a hearing to determine their future.

.....

The Haitian government appears to want to send a message with this case. The list of charges against the 10 is serious, including charges of abduction of underage minors, human trafficking, and conspiracy. Silsby has maintained since her arrest that the group did nothing wrong, and that all of this is a paperwork mistake.

"We know that this is absolutely not trafficking and we know without a doubt that God is going to reveal truth and enable us to be free," Silsby told reporters from a jail cell.

But the journalist and human rights advocate Anne-christine d'Adesky penned an e-mail to the U.N. painting a different picture of how things transpired, one that shows that Silsby was not a naïve do-gooder, but a woman who willfully broke the law.

D'Adesky, who hails from a prominent Haitian family, said she met with Silsby on January 24 in a hotel in the Dominican Republic. Silsby told her that an unnamed Dominican official had given her the green light to transport the children.

"I informed her that this would be regarded as illegal even with some 'Dominican' minister authorizing, since the children are Haitian," d'Adesky wrote. D'Adesky told the Wall Street Journal that Silsby replied: "We have been sent by the Lord to rescue these children, and if it's in the Lord's plan we will be successful."

more here

http://www.momlogic.com/2010/02/ame...knew_actions_were_illegal_activist_claims.php

 

[Missizzy]

An interesting history of "baby-lifts":

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1958674,00.html

A lot of people might be surprised but Unicef has a strong opposition to foreign adoption. It is their goal to keep children in their countries of origin and they rarely assist or support international adoption.

 

[Missizzy]

Silsby "knows this is not trafficking"? Let's look at the definition of trafficking as provided us by the excellent resource on the subject, The Polaris Project:

What is human trafficking?

http://www.polarisproject.org/content/view/26/47/


You know, Ms. Silsby might be right if, and only if, she had no plans to financially profit through the children (no adoptions?) or to subject them to sexual abuse (every worker and prospective parent would be background checked?) or servitude (no expectation of the children helping to build their "orphanage"?).

If that's truly the case, the crime is called kidnapping. If I were her, I'd more than a little bit worried.

 

[Texas Mist]

Pastor Say He Gave U.S. Missionaries Permission to Move Haitian Children

ATLANTA — A pastor who says he gave 10 U.S. Baptist missionaries permission to move a busload of Haitian children to the Dominican Republic says the group acted "with a good heart."

However, he says they didn't complete the required paperwork. The missionaries were later arrested after Haitian authorities said they tried crossing the border without documents.



more here

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,584717,00.html

 

[i.b.nora]

I think that Pastor Jean Sainvil must be reading here.

In an article last night posted by Missizzy,
[ http://www.cbsatlanta.com/news/22414086/detail.html ] it said: ""Sainvil said the goal of his organization, New Life Children’s Refuge, was to move the orphans to a nicer orphanage in the Dominican Republic, which had a soccer field, classrooms and a swimming pool.

Sainvil said after last month’s earthquake, some parents signed over their children in hopes that they would have a better life outside the country.

“I got their phone numbers, their names, their children’s names, their children’s date of birth,” he said."

and

"He said when border authorities were questioning the missionaries, “One of the police officers called me and I was talking to him, and that’s when my phone went dead.”


http://www.ksnt.com/news/local/story/Culberth-Court-Hearing-Postponed/leC7Ogmsc0CiVB-UH3rGJw.cspx

Now, in today's AP article at: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,584717,00.html

it says:

"Sainvil says he was an adviser to the Idaho-based New Life Children's Refuge because he spoke fluent French Creole and Spanish and had knowledge of Haiti.

The pastor says he was not with the missionaries when they were arrested because he was ill." (I had mentioned that I thought it was interesting that he seemed to be back in Georgia either when they were arrested or shortly after.)

Nothing about having an orphanage in Haiti, whose building collapsed. I mean the stories just keep changing and they don't match.

The whole thing just seems very dicey, imo.

 

[Recovering-Lurker]

I am just as outraged as those of you who have been posting. I am very happy that the Haitian government is taking this seriously. I don't care if you are a church group, you can't do this kind of thing. Like the children weren't already traumatized enough.

 

[Melly53]

snipped from the article Texas Mist linked:

D'Adesky, who hails from a prominent Haitian family, said she met with Silsby on January 24 in a hotel in the Dominican Republic. Silsby told her that an unnamed Dominican official had given her the green light to transport the children.

"I informed her that this would be regarded as illegal even with some 'Dominican' minister authorizing, since the children are Haitian," d'Adesky wrote. D'Adesky told the Wall Street Journal that Silsby replied: "We have been sent by the Lord to rescue these children, and if it's in the Lord's plan we will be successful."

I just don't get what part of this Laura Silsby supposedly didn't understand. If someone went to say Cuba and obtained permission to bring a hundred so called U.S. orphan children into that country and then attempted to do so without obtaining any paper work, passports and such from the U.S. Government, can you imagine the uproar that would have caused. Surely even common sense would have told her that would have been illegal so why would it be any different just because it involved Haitian children.

Sorry but there is just something about this Ms Silsby that raises the hair on my neck. It is clear from the
plan outline on her New Life Children's Refuge page that there were plans to have at least some of these children adopted. Why can't anyone find anything on this New Life Adoption Agency that they were supposedly affiliated with, if it is in fact a legitimate organization? Where was all the money coming from to support this operation? If everything was on the up and up then why has her story changed so many times? Sorry but there are just too many things about this situation that stink in a very bad way.:furious:

The only people I feel sorry for in this are the Haitian children and some of the other people that accompanied Ms. Silsby in this misadventure because I have a feeling that they may have been duped by her too. (Thinking specifically of the young 18 and 19 year old teenagers that were with her.) The fact that US government officials seem to be distancing themselves from the situation tells me that they may not be buying her story either. I sure haven't heard the U.S. pleading for them to be returned to our country to face trial, or pleading for their release. Why do you think that is???? :innocent:

 

[i.b.nora]

What we DO know is that Laura Silsby was soliciting what she claimed would be tax deductible donations:

Tax Deductible Donations can be made to
New Life Children’s Refuge through
Central Valley Baptist Church
or can deposit or wire directly
into the NLCR Bank account at Wells Fargo.

Wells Fargo Bank Account: 7884311494

Routing # for Wires: 121000248

Not for Profit EIN #: 27&#8208;1394022

+

What I still would like to know is WHAT organization or business belongs to that EIN #

All of the above is from the PDF which if you don't want to download you can see an html version of it posted online: here

 

[LaLaw2000]

After reading about what Laura Silsby has to say regarding the "mission", it struck me how similar her 'story' / 'excuses'/ 'reasons' are to Tammi Peters-Smith's. (JMOOOC)

Texas Mist, I thought that before even reading your post! Wasn't there also a reference somewhere indicating that Tammi Peters-Smith had also visited Haiti? I do not mean since the earthquake either - it was before. Just IIRC.

I also read that Haiti had been plagued with people going there with the intentions of obtaining children for human traffiking purposes, IIRC. And Tammi is known for quoting bible scriptures. I absolutely think Tammi is a part of the same 'underground' she herself had spoken of in helping Elizabeth & baby Gabriel.

As much as we hate to think of Christian groups doing anything unethical, it does absolutely happen.

MOO

 

[i.b.nora]

There is an interview now with Laura Silsby's sister, the one I said was the third name listed on the Board of Directors.

Sister of detained Idaho woman in Haiti speaks out

by Edgar Linares
Idaho's NewsChannel 7
Posted on February 3, 2010 at 1:53 PM
Updated today at 3:33 PM

"NAMPA -- Laura Silsby's sister expressed concern about the group’s well-being in Haiti.

Kim Barton talked with NewsChannel 7 this morning from her Nampa home.

She's concerned with some of the negative news that's come out. She says her sister went down there with the best intentions.

"I'm very concerned that they have no attorney present in the proceedings. I don't know how they're supposed to defend themselves with no attorney," said Barton.

Barton says her sister spent close to one year planning this trip."

more . . .

 

[LaLaw2000]

Can't anyone just tell the truth anymore?

Why so many stories and why so many different versions?

 

[Missizzy]

For for future reference folks, it's best not to go to foreign countries, planning on breaking the law, without knowing what the judicial system is like and what your rights might be.

These people are really not "getting" it. Not a bit.

 

[Missizzy]

A website set up by SNAP:

http://stopbaptistpredators.org/index.htm

Very interesting info about our Baptist "missionaries" down in Haiti, and a number of other worrisome fellows.

 

[Texas Mist]

Texas Mist, I thought that before even reading your post! Wasn't there also a reference somewhere indicating that Tammi Peters-Smith had also visited Haiti? I do not mean since the earthquake either - it was before. Just IIRC.

I also read that Haiti had been plagued with people going there with the intentions of obtaining children for human traffiking purposes, IIRC. And Tammi is known for quoting bible scriptures. I absolutely think Tammi is a part of the same 'underground' she herself had spoken of in helping Elizabeth & baby Gabriel.

As much as we hate to think of Christian groups doing anything unethical, it does absolutely happen.

MOO

Yep -- TPS & this Silsby woman seem to be cut from the saaaaame cloth!! Just eery how much they are alike!! Wouldn't it be too crazy if these 2 had crossed paths, or were connected, even if in a 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon sorta way??

Silsby's stories are just too hinky and I don't believe her either!!

 

[Texas Mist]

A website set up by SNAP:

http://stopbaptistpredators.org/index.htm

Very interesting info about our Baptist "missionaries" down in Haiti, and a number of other worrisome fellows.

I found this link from your link, MissIzzy:

http://www.jeriwho.net/lillypad2/2010/02/when-disorganized-religion-decides-it.html

Wow -- this lady really nailed the situation and why what the "missionaries" did was so wrong!

 

[Missizzy]

(Spoken with a great deal of sarcasm and snarkiness)

"Why, no, I just can't imagine why we'd think that this was anything other than a God-appointed Christian mission. It's not as if ANYTHING like this have EVER happened before. Why no. Maybe we're just a bit suspicious by nature. After all, these are church people."


http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/...Fueled-Mans-Sex-Trips-to-Haiti--59662657.html

Feds: Local Money Fueled Man&#8217;s Haitian Child Sex

Founded school for disadvantaged youths, then abused them, say federal law enforcement officials

Federal authorities have charged Doug Perlitz, a man with strong ties to Fairfield University, with sexually abusing several boys at the Haitian school he founded for disadvantaged youths &#8211; and they allege he enticed the boys with cash collected by a local religious leader.

Unwitting donors were giving money to &#8220;The Haiti Fund,&#8221; a charity legally operating in Connecticut that was designed to send money to the school, called Project Pierre Toussaint, the indictment read.

Perlitz was a face of the organization, appearing in many favorable stories of its work through the years.

Wednesday morning, Perlitz was arrested in his Eagle, Co., home and charged with seven counts of traveling outside the country to have sex with a minor, and three counts of &#8220;engaging in sexual conduct in foreign places with persons under the age of 18&#8221;. Each count carries a punishment of up to 30 years in prison.

Over the past decade, authorities say Doug Perlitz had control of more than $2 million that flowed to the fund and allegedly used some of the money to manipulate the minors into having sex with him or keeping quiet about the sex."

 

[Missizzy]

Everybody, make sure you read the link Texas Mist posted above.

http://www.jeriwho.net/lillypad2/2010/02/when-disorganized-religion-decides-it.html

It's a wonderful commentary titled:

"When a Disorganized Religion Decides It Is Going to "Care For" Your Children".

Excellent.

 

[Missizzy]

Those Haitians. They are just too darned overprotective of their kids. Picky, picky. They really need to trust these church groups more readily.

http://www.windsorstar.com/life/Missionary+priest+faces+charges/2131759/story.html

Missionary priest faces sex charges

"A former local priest, who founded a mission to aid the poor in Haiti, has been arrested in the Dominican Republic and is awaiting extradition to Canada to face charges of sexually abusing teenage Haitian boys.

John Duarte, 43, former leader of the Windsor-based Hearts Together For Haiti, was picked up Tuesday in the city of Puerto Plata by Dominican authorities on a warrant issued in Canada, according to a statement released by the Dominican Immigration Office and National Drug Control Directorate.

It is alleged Duarte had been engaging in sexual relations with a group of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 in Port-au-Prince.

He faces 12 charges of sexual abuse."


FWIW, the two unrelated articles I linked to are dated in Sept. and Oct. 2009.

 

[Missizzy]

Another blog looking at sexual abuse in Haiti by foreign priests, missionaries, and charity workers.

http://open.salon.com/blog/ezili_da..._of_haiti_children_by_priests_charity_workers

http://opensalon.com/blog/chantal_l...iti_baptist_missionaries_traffick_in_disaster


Many links in these. A huge huge problem. As if abject poverty and starvation weren't enough.

 

[i.b.nora]

If you go to: http://www.peekyou.com/laura_silsby/206495338

you will find some other names of people associated with Laura Lavonne Silsby, as well as other names she has had. My guess is they are ex-husbands, it seems she has been married at least twice.

Mccool seems to be a variation on the name Makhoul, probably a Lebanese name. Her most recent ex-husband, a Silsby, is a Real Estate agent in Boise.
I don't get the impression that she is the mother of young children, so I don't understand why the claim that Charise is her nanny.

She also seems to have links to Phoenix, AZ, Boise, Kuna, Meridian, and Sun Valley, ID.

You can see the other names at that link. Fairly certain that Justin is an adult son of hers. Have found a couple of Mccool Enterprise listings but none that make any sense. Maybe someone could follow up on that.