Agency urges Government to aid Tristan

THE GOVERNMENT must put a financial package together to ensure that Tristan Dowse, the child adopted and then abandoned by his Irish father in Indonesia, can stay with his birth mother.

AdoptionIreland, a representative body for adopted people in Ireland, has accused the Government of failing the four-year-old boy and is calling for a financial package to be made available to help keep Tristan and his birth mother Suranyi together. The pair were reunited last month.

Tristan remains in legal limbo ahead of court hearings on his future status. He is still registered as a foreign adopted child and retains his Irish passport.

Until the High Court rules on the registration, the Indonesian authorities cannot make a decision on the child’s future.

AdoptionIreland, speaking ahead of tonight’s RTÉ True Lives special The Search for Tristan’s Mum, believes his natural mother is the best person to take care of the youngster in the long term.

Tristan’s mother Suranyi claims she was tricked into giving her son away after birth. The woman who handled the supposed adoption in Indonesia is now in prison facing child trafficking charges following a police sting operation.

“Given how the Irish Government has failed Tristan thus far, in that nothing was done before his story was exposed in the media, the very least they could do now is put a child sponsorship program in place so that this family can stay together,” chair of AdoptionIreland Anton Sweeney said.

“If Suryani wants to raise Tristan, then poverty should not stand in her way,” he added.

RTÉ has been praised for backing investigative journalist Ann McElhinney’s successful search for Tristan’s mother. “The broadcaster has done a great public service,” Mr Sweeney said.

“Questions must be asked as to how a journalist was able to travel to Indonesia and locate Suryani, yet the Irish Government either couldn’t or wouldn’t do so.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs was reluctant to comment at length last night on a case that has still to receive a High Court hearing.

However, a spokesman said: “We are aware that the child has met the mother and is spending more and more time with her. Our concern has always been the welfare of the child and anything that helps the welfare of the child is good.”

Joe and Lala Dowse, who now live in Lala’s homeland of Azerbaijan, adopted the child in 2001. However, Tristan was later returned to an Indonesian orphanage by Joe, originally from Co Wicklow, who told authorities the adoption was “not working out”.

The couple, who have begun proceedings to de-register the adoption, are believed to be willing to put a financial package together to pay for Tristan’s care.