The following appeared today in Guatemalan newspaper(s). I apologize that I don't have a link. I have no further information than what is included in the notice. It seems to me like an attempt to better understand the status of all cases, the whereabouts of the children, and to verify their well being.
Click on more for a translation...
Important Notification
To all the people in charge of children’s homes, foster mothers, substitute families, and people who have children or adolescents under their care with the purpose to be placed for adoption; that notaries or attorneys had placed them under their care and the process continued according to the Decree number 54-77 of the Congress of the Republic “Law of the Notarial Proceeding of Matters of Voluntary Jurisdiction” be informed that you have to appear before the Childhood and Adolescents Section of the PGN, to define the judicial situation of the children and adolescents.
The persons who appear before the PGN with the children and adolescents will not be prosecuted by any judicial way, considering that they have not incurred in any criminal act. This measure is taken to guarantee the well being and security of the children under legal age.
You must appear before the PGN immediately and most important if, up to the date, the notary or the proxy has not provided a follow up to the adoption process and/or they have not provided with the supplies and the economic support to provide for the children and adolescents.
Licda. Gladys Girón Herrera
“Jefa Sección de Procuraduría”
Agree with Kevin on what it sounds like. The last sentence disturbs me. Is it possible they have run into cases where supplies and economic support have been dropped?
Posted by: lisa at May 24, 2009 10:09 AMDo you think this is an effort to inventory cases still in process?
Posted by: Betsy at May 24, 2009 01:02 PMAppears there is nothing sinister about this announcement. I, too, thought it was odd but certainly was going to comply. I met with Lic.Giron yesterday in the PGN. She told me that the notice was aimed at foster mothers who had been left with children when adoptions closed. The lawyers had quit paying for the care of the children and the foster mothers are afraid they will go to jail if they come forward. I was assured the new PGN jefa is not looking for an accounting of children or is interested in children already accounted for. She is interested in children who are not accounted for and may have been abandoned by lawyers with foster mothers and they are looking at a way to help the kids be accounted for an possibly adopted.
Posted by: Nancy Bailey at May 29, 2009 04:15 PM