Israel indicts woman selling her ward's baby for adoption abroad

 

A 71-year-old court-appointed guardian from northern Israel has been charged with selling a baby born to a young woman under her care. The case, investigated for eight years by the Israel Police Northern District’s Central Investigative Unit, culminated in a severe indictment filed by the Northern District Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday. The defendant, whose name is under gag order, faces unprecedented charges but is not in custody.

Nazareth District Court President Judge Esther Hellman allowed the publication of key details from the indictment, though the trial will be held behind closed doors.

The defendant, represented by attorney Yahli Sperling, is accused of human trafficking, kidnapping for trafficking purposes, child abduction and obstruction of justice.

According to the indictment, filed by senior deputy district prosecutors Nurit Hadass and Hani Ezra, the defendant worked with individuals suffering from mental illnesses and was appointed as the complainant’s legal guardian in May 2015.

“When the complainant was in the late stages of pregnancy and hospitalized in a psychiatric facility, the defendant decided to arrange for the baby’s adoption of her own volition,” the indictment read.

“To advance her plan, she located a couple in Israel and agreed they would adopt the child in the U.S., covering all pregnancy and birth-related expenses, without informing the complainant or relevant authorities.”

The defendant allegedly flew with the complainant to New York without notifying authorities. The adoptive couple arrived days later, and the defendant facilitated the adoption process, including hiring a U.S. lawyer, arranging a caregiver for the complainant and preparing necessary documents.

After the birth and a deterioration in the complainant’s health, the defendant signed adoption consent forms on her behalf and assisted the couple in finalizing the adoption with U.S. authorities.

The defendant returned to Israel shortly after the adoption, leaving the complainant hospitalized in the U.S. Despite her requests to return, the complainant was forced to remain abroad and dependent on others without financial resources, her passport or proper medical care.

In September, six months after the birth, a host family purchased a flight ticket for the complainant to return to Israel. Upon her return, she filed a police complaint, leading to the adoptive couple’s identification and the child’s location.

National Anti-Trafficking Coordination Unit Director Dina Dominitz called the indictment “unique and precedent-setting, both in Israel and globally.” She added: “It attributes severe offenses of human trafficking and kidnapping for the purpose of bearing and taking a child, involving particularly cruel exploitation.

“The international investigation underscores the importance of cooperation between enforcement and treatment agencies. I hope this indictment brings healing and justice to the young woman at its hear, who was brutally exploited by those meant to protect her.”

Attorney Yahli Sperling, representing the defendant, said, “My client’s actions were beyond reproach. She vehemently denies the allegations, which do not reflect the truth and this will be clarified in court.”

“The indictment’s filing nine years after the incident speaks volumes about the doubts surrounding it. My client is an elderly, ill woman whose life has been dedicated to charity and volunteer work. She committed no criminal offense,” she added.