"American Baptists Involved in Controversial Child Transportation in Haiti"
A group of 10 American Baptists from Idaho, under the name New Life Children’s Refuge, attempted to transport 33 Haitian children across the Haitian-Dominican Republic border without proper documentation in 2010.
The group was taken in custody by Haitian Police on charges of child kidnapping creating an international incident. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake had recently hit Haiti, creating a chaotic and vulnerable situation with many missing or displaced children.
Eight of the 10 missionaries were released two weeks later on intervention by former President Bill Clinton under the United Nations, but the group’s leader, Laura Silsby, and her assistant, Teresa Coulter, were held for further investigation.
Charges of kidnapping and trafficking were dropped by the judge on May 17, 2010, and Silsby and Coulter were charged with irregular travel with a minor and their sentences were marked as time served.
Allegations against Silsby included attempts to take children from orphanages against warnings from authorities, hiring an interpreter involved in a sex-trafficking ring, and promising to build an orphanage in the Dominican Republic despite having a history of financial instability and legal troubles.