Mr. Fekele claims that when he visited the boys several days after their return to the orphanage, they appeared to be content with the decision. But Hungarian child protection oficials dispute that. They say the boys have been withdrawn. This was a real trauma for the kids and I don't think it can be repaired,' said Maria Herczog, who heads the state institute vetting foreigners seeking to adopt any of Hungary's 21.000 abandoned children. Magdolma Nagy, director of the children's home in Eger, which approved the boys' adoption, said their problems is the US would have passed in time.
Hungarian legislation says adoption by foreigners goes ahead only after local options have failed.
That generally means foreigners are often problem children's and that's why the Hungarians do not want them back. Mr. Fekele said the US families should not be judged too harshly. They were told almost nothing about the boys' troubled backgrounds.