U.S. Baptist Group in Haiti Charged With Child Abductions

Ten Americans who tried to take 33 children out of Haiti last week without proper documentation were charged with child abduction and criminal conspiracy, the New York Times reports. The group, made up mostly of members of a Baptist congregation in Idaho, said they were transporting the children to an orphanage in the Dominican Republic. They continue to be held while an investigation judge completes a review -- expected to last three months -- of the case and determines whether to pursue further legal action.

The Americans admitted to taking the children without the government's approval, but said they were attempting to rescue ones that had been orphaned by the earthquake. Several of the children were later discovered to have at least one living parent.

Laura Silsby, a businesswoman and missionary who is the group's leader, had come under scrutiny in her hometown for unpaid wages to former employees, and the state has placed a lien on her company bank account. Silsby organized the rescue mission to Haiti, and said her group is "just trusting God for a positive outcome."
During the hearing, the deputy prosecutor assured the Americans that the case was not being dropped, but that the next step would be up to the investigation judge. "That judge can free you, but he can also continue to hold you for further proceedings," he said, according to Reuters. The defendents appeared calm when the ruling was announced; they prayed and some smiled at reporters as they left the courthouse.