Arabic version: امرأة أسترالية من أصل كوري تلغي تبنيها مع بدء التحقيق في الممارسات

A Korean-born Australian woman has successfully overturned her adoption following a federal inquiry into the country’s adoption practices. The unnamed woman, who endured a traumatic childhood filled with abuse, has called for significant changes to adoption laws in Australia.

According to ABC News, the woman, referred to as Rose Mary Smith*, won the right to discharge her adoption after the Supreme Court recognized the physical and sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her adoptive parents.

Rose Mary, who is part of a community of 3,600 Korean adoptees in Australia, expressed her distress at having her abusers listed as her legal parents. She highlighted the burdensome process of nullifying her adoption, which she described as “cruel.” The court found that she had provided “clear and cogent proof” of her allegations, enabling her to meet the stringent criteria required to discharge an adoption in Australia.

In light of her case, the Australian government has initiated a six-month internal inquiry into the adoption program, particularly focusing on practices related to the Eastern Social Welfare Society, the agency responsible for many Korean adoptions. This inquiry follows a South Korean investigation that revealed serious flaws in the consent and screening processes for adoptive parents.

Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek acknowledged the “improprieties” in the Korean adoption process and emphasized the need for the inquiry to determine what was known at the Australian level. The investigation aims to uncover the circumstances surrounding adoptions from 1964 to 1999 and will be conducted in collaboration with the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, which oversaw the majority of these adoptions.