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Baby sold on eBay now in care
A baby born in Belgium during the summer but sold by its parents to a Dutch couple over the internet is now in the care of Dutch authorities while his future is decided. According to media reports the baby was sold on eBay for thousands of euros. The Dutch couple denies buying Baby J, saying on Dutch TV that they only paid the costs of pregnancy incurred by the parents.
A Dutch court said the couple had broken the laws for adopting foreign children, and had to hand the baby over to child welfare authorities. According to the Dutch television programme Netwerk, the Belgian couple -- who already had one child -- decided to sell the baby because they could not afford to raise two children. The Belgian couple are now said to feel bad about their decision and to want their baby back. Both couples are being investigated.
The Council for the Protection of Children, part of the Netherlands Justice Ministry, says the child should be placed in a “neutral foster family” with no ties to either couple. It also said: “Clarity over your family history is of fundamental importance for a child growing up. Obscuring your true identity is harmful.”
LifeSite News notes that this is not the first case of a baby being sold online. It also points that reproductive technologies have created a climate where it is more likely for a child to be treated as a commodity -- made to order as well as bought and sold. ~ Reuters, Nov 28; BBC News, Nov 27; LifeSite, Nov 26

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