|
Baby R - update
| Date: |
21 October 2007 03:14 |
| Researcher: |
Amalia Christoforou
|
| Show: | Carte Blanche |
Earlier this year, Carte Blanche brought you the story of an American family's battle to adopt a South African baby girl.
Baby R had been living in this children's home since November 2004 after she was found abandoned in a veldt in Roodepoort. Her immediate family has never been traced and no local adoptive family was found for her.
[Carte Blanche May, 2007]
Ruda Landman (Carte Blanche presenter): "There are millions of orphans in South Africa. There are people in other countries who are willing to adopt at least some of them. The Department of Social Development has to say yes' or no' and in very many cases they're saying no'."
[Carte Blanche May, 2007]
Ruda: "My impression is that you're resisting, with everything you've got, international adoptions of South African children. Am I correct?"
[Carte Blanche May, 2007]
Musa Mbere: "We are not resisting. We are just saying that it must be the last option. We don't want to see a whole exodus of children leaving the country. If we can avoid that, we would like to avoid it."
We last spoke to the family in June, after both the High Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal rejected their application to gain custody of Baby R. At that point the family had to consider whether to take their case all the way to the Constitutional Court.
Bongani Bingwa (Carte Blanche presenter): "The Constitutional Court has made an order preventing the media from identifying Baby R, her new parents and her foster parents. We've brought you this story before, but this time we have to protect the identities of the parties involved."
[Carte Blanche May, 2007]
Baby R Adoptive Father: "We said we had to go forward and if I go all the way to the end and she doesn't become a part of our family in the way that I'd planned for it, I can accept that. But I can't accept the fact that I would quit under any other circumstances. I can't do it."
After almost three years, the family's wait is over. The judgement of the Constitutional Court found in their favour and, on Wednesday, the Children's Court formally processed Baby R's adoption.
Bongani: "How did you feel when the adoption was finally granted?"
Baby R Adoptive Father: "There was so much excitement because people had known how much effort had gone through for this case and what our struggle had been like. There were a lot of tears, but quite honestly it was tears of happiness and joy."
Bongani: "I believe even the commissioner cried?"
Baby R Adoptive Mother: "Absolutely. My favourite part was when the commissioner of the children's court said that€¦ in the actual adoption order she said that it was as if we had borne her, and that was just overwhelming to me."
This case has been a landmark. It has won Baby R the right to a permanent family, and a pending second order of the Constitutional Court case is expected to bring clarity to international adoptions.
Bongani: "When you started this you really had no idea what you were setting up for?"
Baby R Adoptive Mother: "No."
Baby R Adoptive Father: "I sat in that room right there. We talked about the process and it's now become a little bit of a joke to us. One of the statements that was made was: This child has paperwork done, and she's had some vaccinations and it shouldn't be that difficult of a process'. We were like, No problem and we will get started'. And we went on this journey where we thought we would be back maybe in five or six months and we would finish it up. We certainly had no idea of the enormity of what would happen."
Bongani: "How much of this process did she understand?"
Baby R adoptive mother: "I don't know, let's see€¦ [speaking to Baby R] Where are we going?"
Baby R: "America."
Baby R Adoptive Mother: "To where?"
Baby R: "To America."
Baby R Adoptive Mother: "To America, yes."
Her new parents will ensure that she always has strong ties with South Africa. But, she is going to be missed.
Bongani: [to former Foster Parent] "You've been with Baby R almost from the beginning. What does this moment mean to you?"
Baby R Former Foster Parent: "There are times when our hearts are breaking. While we're delighted to have been with this little girl, at the same time it's been three years and it makes the handover tough. But we always knew it was the right thing. From the day we met this couple we said, These are surely this girl's parents' and we've always believed that."
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:While every attempt has been made to ensure this transcript or summary is accurate, Carte Blanche or its agents cannot be held liable for any claims arising out of inaccuracies caused by human error or electronic fault. This transcript was typed from a transcription recording unit and not from an original script, so due to the possibility of mishearing and the difficulty, in some cases, of identifying individual speakers, errors cannot be ruled out.
|