Idahoans insist they had good intentions
MERIDIAN - New details from the Idaho group accused of kidnapping 33 Haitian children emerged today from the earthquake-devastated country. The ten Americans, eight from Idaho, spent another full day in two small jail cells in Port au Prince. A Dominican Republic lawyer speaking for the group said they weren't getting enough food or medicine and were being kept in deplorable conditions.
Laura Silsby, a Meridian woman who leads the New Life Children's Refuge effort, told reporters their intentions were good.
"Our understanding is that they had lost parents during the quake or possibly had a parent abandon them before the quake," she said from behind bars.
However interviews with the children revel more than ten of them still have families. CBS News found their parents who said they willingly gave the kids to the missionaries on the promise of a better life. A note from the group promises education, a swimming pool and tennis courts in the neighboring Dominican Republic. However the flyer makes no mention of when or if they would return the children to Haiti.
Late Monday night a Pastor at the Church in Meridian spoke on the accusations.
"No part of this trip were we going to have any adoptions take place," said Drew Hamm, a pastor at the church. "The idea really was let's go - and just as many Americans have done - they saw a need in Haiti. They wanted to go and take care of some kids who had physical, medical needs and care for them in Haiti. Adoption wasn't a part of the question at this point."
Earlier however, Haiti's Prime Minister told reporters it was clear to him the Americans new what they were doing was wrong and that he would make an example out of them. What is unclear is where the trial would take place. The Jan. 12 earthquake destroyed the courts. The Prime Minister said he would be open to holding the trial in the U.S. After a Haitian judge determined the motives of the group.
As of early Tuesday morning word of when the trial would happen has not been released.
Laura Silsby, a Meridian woman who leads the New Life Children's Refuge effort, told reporters their intentions were good.
"Our understanding is that they had lost parents during the quake or possibly had a parent abandon them before the quake," she said from behind bars.
However interviews with the children revel more than ten of them still have families. CBS News found their parents who said they willingly gave the kids to the missionaries on the promise of a better life. A note from the group promises education, a swimming pool and tennis courts in the neighboring Dominican Republic. However the flyer makes no mention of when or if they would return the children to Haiti.
Late Monday night a Pastor at the Church in Meridian spoke on the accusations.
"No part of this trip were we going to have any adoptions take place," said Drew Hamm, a pastor at the church. "The idea really was let's go - and just as many Americans have done - they saw a need in Haiti. They wanted to go and take care of some kids who had physical, medical needs and care for them in Haiti. Adoption wasn't a part of the question at this point."
Earlier however, Haiti's Prime Minister told reporters it was clear to him the Americans new what they were doing was wrong and that he would make an example out of them. What is unclear is where the trial would take place. The Jan. 12 earthquake destroyed the courts. The Prime Minister said he would be open to holding the trial in the U.S. After a Haitian judge determined the motives of the group.
As of early Tuesday morning word of when the trial would happen has not been released.
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