In a landmark case, an Indonesian court convicted 19 people for trafficking at least 34 newborns, many of whom were destined for Singapore and adopted by families there.
The verdict has left the adoptive parents in Singapore traumatized—freed from legal certainty, they ask whether the babies can stay with them or must be sent back to Indonesia.
Lawyers warn that Singapore rarely revokes adoption orders; the new case could become a first‑time legal precedent, with courts weighing the children’s best interests and the falsehoods that facilitated the trafficking.
The Indonesian authorities still cannot confirm every child’s biological parents, so some may be left without a family or placed in state care if returned.
Both parents and child protection groups stress that the babies’ “best interests” must guide the outcome, transcending the uncertainties of cross‑border legal systems.
