U.S. missionaries in Haiti charged for kidnapping
February 5th, 2010 - 4:24 am ICT by BNO NewsPORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (BNO NEWS) – The ten U.S. missionaries who were arrested last week after trying to take thirty-three Haitian children out of the country were charged today for child kidnapping and criminal association, a government official told CNN.
The missionaries were returned to jail after their court hearing earlier today in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital.
The Americans were trying to cross the children to the Dominican Republic to later transfer them to an orphanage that was being constructed, but without the proper documentation, the busload of children were turned back and the missionaries were accused of kidnapping.
Laura Silsby, the group leader, said that their intentions were to benefit the well-being of the children; she also admitted to be lacking of complete paperwork. Nonetheless, officials said the children still have parents and family.
Both the U.S. and Haitian authorities are working together to figure out the reasons of their actions and the details of everything that happened, P.J Crowley, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department said Wednesday.
- 8 American Missionaries Accused In Haiti Child Abduction Freed - Feb 18, 2010
- Americans who tried to illegally take Haitian children to be tried in court - Feb 03, 2010
- American missionary freed by Haitian authorities - Mar 09, 2010
- Haiti judge orders release of eight US missionaries - Feb 18, 2010
- US missionary Laura Silsby to be on trial in Haiti - Apr 27, 2010
- Laura Silsby And Nine Other Missionaries Charged With Smuggling Haitian Children - Feb 05, 2010
- 10 Idaho Missionaries Await Legal Proceedings In Haiti - Feb 09, 2010
- 10 Americans held for illegally trying to take children from Haiti - Jan 31, 2010
- U.S. Missionaries Left Off Trial For Kidnapping - Apr 27, 2010
- 10 kids rescued from Haitian human smuggler - Jul 28, 2011
- Solitary U.S. missionary To Undergo Trial In Haiti - Apr 27, 2010
- Ten Americans charged with child trafficking in Haiti - Feb 01, 2010
- US Embassy has the custody of the Haiti orphans, who were seized, at the airport - Feb 24, 2010
- Ninth Missionary, Charisa Coulter Freed From Haiti - Mar 09, 2010
- US missionaries set for release in Haiti - Feb 11, 2010
Tags: bno, child kidnapping, cnn, crowley, dominican republic, government official, group leader, haitian authorities, haitian children, missionaries in haiti, orphanage, paperwork, parents, port au prince, port au prince haiti, proper documentation, spokesman, state department