Queensland premier fails to recall cases of Indian kids stolen for adoption
25 Aug 2008, 1436 Hrs

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Queensland, Aug 25 (ANI): Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has said that she was not aware of adoptions of stolen Indian children during her term as Child Safety Minister.

Bligh said the Queensland Government was assisting in the investigation but she could not recall concerns about child stealing during her time as Child Safety Minister.

"Not to the best of my recollection, but there is material being gathered by the department about the child concerned so there may well be something that I don't recall, but as you'll appreciate it is a long time ago," she said.

News.com.au quoted Bligh as saying that she did not wish to speculate about the validity of the adoption, should the case go to court.

"I think it would be wrong of me because it's very complex human issues that are involved in this,"' she said.

"This is about a child and an adoptive family that's gone out of its way and done their best to give a child a new life and to make a family. Equally, there are birth parents who have equally suffered, so the ultimate outcome here is one that I don't think any of us can know yet," Bligh said.

Indian authorities and the Federal Government are investigating allegations that more than a dozen children kidnapped from Indian slums have ended up being adopted in Australia.

It is also alleged an Indian girl named Zabeen was kidnapped seven years ago and adopted out to a Queensland family through Malaysian Social Services (MSS). (ANI)