U.S. Missionary Tries To Take Haitian Children

Laura Silsby, a U.S. missionary from Idaho, was convicted of trying to take 33 children out of Haiti illegally this past January following the massive earthquake that devastated the country. Silsby and nine other American missionaries were caught trying to take the children into the Dominican Republic. Silsby originally claimed that she thought the children were orphans, but recent information has determined that many of the children do have parents who handed them over because they felt that their children would receive better care in U.S. hands. The other missionaries were detained, but they were not charged, and returned home. Silsby was originally charged with abduction, but her charge was reduced to "illegal travel," which includes smuggling people. The judge sentenced her to three months and eight days in prison, which was the time she had already been waiting in custody. She was promptly returned to the U.S.

Submitted By: Nora Beswick