First cloned baby is in Israel, court told

The head of the group that claims to have cloned humans testified under oath today that the first clone, a baby girl known as Eve, is in Israel.

Brigitte Boisselier, president of Clonaid, made the disclosure during a hearing into whether Florida should appoint a guardian for the child. The judge then threw the case out of court.

Boisselier also maintained under oath that two other cloned babies have been born since Eve’s birth late last month.

Clonaid was founded by a Frenchman who also created the Raelian sect and claims life on Earth was started by extraterrestrials.

It has offered no proof that the babies are clones or even exist. Boisselier initially promised DNA tests to prove Eve was a clone, but later backed out saying the parents were concerned the court was trying to take the baby away. Boisselier said she has only seen a videotape of Eve.

After Boisselier’s testimony, Fort Lauderdale Judge John Frusciante ruled that he had no jurisdiction and threw the case out. He lectured Boisselier about cloning.

“You cannot pursue human cloning with impunity,” the judge told her. “All of us must not overlook the weakest among us.”

Clonaid has said Eve was born to American parents on Boxing Day. The others were supposedly born to parents from Japan and the Netherlands.

Many experts consider the sect’s cloning claims to be a hoax and say only independent DNA testing could prove the claim.

Lawyer Bernard Siegel had asked the court to appoint a guardian for Eve, saying cloning is inherently abusive because of the genetic problems encountered in other mammal cloning.

Siegel had argued the court could have jurisdiction because Clonaid’s news conference announcing the clone’s birth was held in Florida.