Just picture two scenarios: Wealthy woman sees a kid with his 17 years old mother. She offered to buy the child but the girl refuses.
Another scenario: Wealthy woman sees a kid and his sister running up and down and approaches the mother and asks if she would give them up for adoption. The girl says yes, she takes the baby, make her sign a paper and leave with the child.
The girl now goes to the police and says her child was kidnapped. Which story do you believe? Both stories are suspicious. The first scenario is the girl's account and it does not make sense to me that after a woman is asking me if I would be willing to sell my child, I would later take a ride in her car to my place.
The second scenario does not make sense either, since the police does not make any mention of any paper signed by the girl. You decide.
QUOTE |
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A wealthy woman accused of kidnapping a 7-week old baby was adopting him, her lawyer said, but police claim she took the baby after his teenage mother rejected her offer to buy him. Annette Pinkard, a 47-year-old real estate professional from the Dallas, Texas, area, is being held in Texas along with her cousin, Sylvia Nunn, 53. Authorities say the women saw Devon Calloway with his mother, Dominique Calloway, 17, at a store last month and offered to buy the child for $6,000. Calloway said that though tempted, she refused the offer, but let the women drive her home. Two days later, the women returned to repeat their offer and drove off when Calloway allowed them to hold Devon, authorities said. They were arrested May 24. Pinkard's attorney, Scottie Allen, disputed that account. He said his client and Nunn, who lives in Compton, California, came across Devon's 2-year-old sister "unaccompanied and running around outside." They found the mother, went home with her to her fetid duplex and offered to adopt both children, he said. Calloway agreed to let Devon go and Pinkard had her sign a form relinquishing her parental rights, Allen said. Pinkard planned to return to California to apply to a court for adoption, he said... |
Wow, who do you believe? I think that if the birth mother is willing to go to court over it, you have to give her the custody. But if even part of the story is true from the other wanna be parents, then you can't really punish them. They only had the childs welfare in mind, even if they went about it the wrong way.
It may have been both ways ~ the girl said she was "tempted" to sell her child at the first contact. Maybe she actually told the women that she wanted to do it, let the child go, and then changed her mind at the last minute. The whole thing sounds like a vast misunderstanding on both sides.
There seems to be a lot of unexplained answers in this case, either way, it is not exactly what you'd call 'normal' to offer to buy someones child on the street. Some things should stay priceless.
I don't know how it could be proved one way or another, as it is each to their own story, and I don't envy the jury's task of seeking a verdict on the case.
It sounds like the young mother was coerced into giving up her child, but then changed her mind. As for the wealthy woman, her story doesn't sit well with me. She had to know this isn't the normal way to adopt a child. Even if she was concerned for the welfare of the child, she should have called authorities rather that just take the child. Also, her intention to take the child is clear because she was prepared with a form for the girl to sign that would relinquish her rights.
I have to take the side of the 17-year old mother in this case. With either story, the big problem in my mind, is that the wealthy, older woman used money and power to coerce a young person into giving up her child. That should be wrong, no matter what. The judge needs to see that the 17-year old lost judgement temporarily, but should not have been tempted that way in the first place. Paying someone cash for a child is not legal, since it does not follow the legal procedures and processes of adoption. Give the mother a very strict warning; basically if she ever finds herself in a court again, she could lose her child. Give the child back to her. The two older women need to serve time and a fine, in my opinion.