This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/7522678.stm

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Evidence of Guatemalan baby trade Adopted Guatemala baby 'stolen'
(about 3 hours later)
Officials in Guatemala say they have the first irrefutable evidence that a child was stolen and put up for adoption in the state system. DNA tests in Guatemala have proven for the first time that a child put up for adoption through the state system was stolen from her mother, officials say.
The National Adoption Council used genetic evidence to confirm the account of a mother who recognised her baby in the company of an American woman. Ana Escobar reported her daughter Esther Sulamita stolen last year and during her search saw the baby with a US woman who was adopting her.
The baby was abducted by armed men last year but tracked down by her mother. The baby had a false birth certificate but DNA tests proved the parentage and Esther is now back with Ms Escobar.
A false birth certificate and a bogus DNA test were used to indicate that the baby was born to another woman. Baby thefts have long been suspected and Guatemala froze adoptions in May.
Toddler Esther Sulamita was reported stolen on 26 March, 2007. Guatemala is second only to China as the source of babies adopted by US parents and the market is worth tens of millions of dollars a year.
She was in the process of being adopted by an unidentified US couple when her mother, Ana Escobar, recognised her in the National Adoption Council's offices. Last year, more than 4,700 Guatemalan children were adopted by Americans.
Widespread abuse Dozens of Guatemalan mothers have reported stolen babies.
This was run by a mafia, and we are going after them Jaime Tecu class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7126028.stm">Baby snatching: mothers' stories 'Miracle'
Jaime Tecu, director of a team of experts reviewing all pending Guatemalan adoptions, said the DNA test results represent the first time officials have been able to link a baby reported stolen by its mother to the adoption system. Ana Escobar said armed men had locked her in a storage closet at the family's shoe shop north of Guatemala City and abducted six-month-old Esther in March last year.
"This is the first time that we've been able to show, with irrefutable evidence, that a stolen child was put up for adoption," Mr Tecu said. This was run by a mafia, and we are going after them Jaime Tecu, official reviewing adoptions class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7126028.stm">Baby snatching: Mothers' stories
Ana Escobar said armed men had locked her in a storage closet at the family's shoe shop north of Guatemala City and abducted six-month-old Esther. Ms Escobar spoke to the BBC last November, saying the authorities had closed the case but that she would not give up the search.
Mr Tecu said officials will investigate the lawyers who handled the adoption, the doctor who signed the falsified DNA tests, and anyone else associated with the process. "I'm 100% sure that we will find my daughter," she said at the time.
Ms Escobar took part in protests with other mothers, including wheeling empty prams in front of government buildings to call for justice.
Ms Escobar searched hospitals and orphanages and while at the National Adoption Council's offices in May saw a toddler she was convinced was Esther.
Jaime Tecu, director of a team of experts reviewing all pending Guatemalan adoptions, said: "She was so sure that the child was hers that we agreed to search the house where the baby was kept."
A Guatemalan judge allowed Ms Escobar to care for Esther while the new DNA tests were performed.
Ms Escobar told Associated Press news agency on Wednesday: "I can't explain how excited and happy I am. It's a miracle."
Mr Tecu said: "This is the first time that we've been able to show, with irrefutable evidence, that a stolen child was put up for adoption."
He said officials would investigate the lawyers who handled the adoption, the doctor who signed earlier, falsified DNA tests and anyone else associated with the process.
"This was run by a mafia, and we are going after them," he said."This was run by a mafia, and we are going after them," he said.
The Guatemalan congress tightened laws on adoption in December, to try to prevent abuse of the adoption system. BBC Americas correspondent Warren Bull says hundreds of children were being bought or stolen to order each year because Guatemala's adoption system had been so quick and trouble-free for would-be parents.
The Guatemalan congress tightened laws on adoption in December to try to prevent abuse of the system.
In May the authorities suspended the adoption of some 2,300 children by foreigners and are reviewing each case to check if the babies were genuinely being offered for adoption by their birth mothers.In May the authorities suspended the adoption of some 2,300 children by foreigners and are reviewing each case to check if the babies were genuinely being offered for adoption by their birth mothers.
Guatemala is second only to China as the source of babies adopted by US parents, and intermediaries can be paid thousands of dollars to arrange an adoption.
Last year, more than 4,700 Guatemalan children were adopted by Americans.