Update and Reactions

This update was provided on 5/12/2006................

Baroness Nicholson and MEP Gomes are holding a hearing in Strasbourg next week. This is no longer a battle but a war. It's quite complicated to explain what is happening in Parliament in regards to Declaration 23 and now the release of the MDRI report, but know that parties are being split and there is much lobbying by Nicholson and Gomes to not sign it and to discredit us as now it's being spinned that we are behind this report. (We should all be flattered that we are thought to have so much power and control.) I am preparing documents for our MEP allies and sending them requested information.

Meanwhile the Romanian government is now harassing Bruce Thomas, an NGO who testified and spoke to the press about the rampant sexual abuse in a local orphanage that the authorities have ignored for years. His collaboration agreement was revoked. This means he and his foundation can no longer work in the 22 state run group homes or 7 orphanages that he does programs in. Our government is currently assisting him.

Yesterday authorities from Bertzi's office arrived at the foster home of Augustina, the child whose photo was used in the invitation. They interrogated them for hours and threatened to remove her from their care. Today I've been told that authorities will be paying a call on Nannette Gonzalez, the NGO who appeared on the Nightline report and testified in Brussels and who also placed Augustina in foster care. As the other NGO involved and the pending parents of Augustina are in the U.S. I presume they won't refuse a knock on the door.

I have contacted ABC and MDRI and have alerted them to both situations. I have also contacted other media....

Please contact your elected officials and inform them of this harrassment of Americans and innocent children for speaking out on the abuses of abandoned children. Nicholson has her hands all over this and now she's found an ally in Gomes. They will stop at nothing.