Lawyer says nun charged with “selling children” is innocent

(December 02, 2011) The lawyer of a Missionary of Charity nun of Mother Teresa in Sri Lanka, who is accused of "selling children" from a home for single mothers, has said that the centre and the sisters are “absolutely not involved in taking any money when the children are given for adoption.” Lawyer Neville Abeyratne made his submission when the case filed by the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) against Indian Sister Mary Eliza was taken to court on Thursday before Colombo Additional Magistrate Yvonne Fernando. Sr. Eliza who was arrested on November 25 from ‘Prem Nivasa’ children’s home run by the Missionaries of Charity in Moratuwa, south of Colombo, on charges of human trafficking, was released on bail on Monday. The NCPA accused Sr. Eliza with child trafficking and other related abuses in connection with a programme in support of pregnant unwed women at ‘Prem Nivasa’. Abeyratne said the home is registered under the Probation Department of the Social Ministry and everything done there is in consultation, and children given for adoption go through a legal procedure in courts. The next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 15. Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Archdiocese of Colombo, Fr. Joseph Benedict, said that the Church "is taking action", but has not yet issued any official statement. But many regard this silence as detrimental to Mother Teresa’s nuns, giving way to speculations in the tabloid press.