GUATEMALA: TRIAL OF BRITISH CHILD RIGHTS ACTIVIST BRUCE HARRIS FOR DEFAMATION OF ADOPTION LAWYERS
Record ID:
174734
GUATEMALA: TRIAL OF BRITISH CHILD RIGHTS ACTIVIST BRUCE HARRIS FOR DEFAMATION OF ADOPTION LAWYERS
- Title: GUATEMALA: TRIAL OF BRITISH CHILD RIGHTS ACTIVIST BRUCE HARRIS FOR DEFAMATION OF ADOPTION LAWYERS
- Date: 23rd January 2004
- Summary: (U1) GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA (JANUARY 23, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. WIDE OF BRITISH DEFENDANT, BRUCE HARRIS, IN COURTROOM DURING CASE OF DEFAMATION BROUGHT AGAINST HIM AFTER HE ACCUSED ADOPTION LAWYERS OF CHILD TRAFFICKING 0.06 2. SCU BRITISH DEFENDANT BRUCE HARRIS 0.13 3. SMV HARRIS AND LAWYER VICTOR HUGO NAVARRO 0.20 4. SCU HARRIS LIS
- Embargoed: 7th February 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA
- Country: Guatemala
- Reuters ID: LVABUZCW6U7C5EPQF2KYPBKUN1AD
- Story Text: Trial of British child rights activist continues in
Guatemala City.
The trial of a prominent British child rights
activist in Guatemala continued into its second day on
Friday (January 23).
Bruce Harris, honoured by his home country for his work
with Central American street children, faces charges of
defamation for accusing adoption lawyers of child
trafficking.
The charges were brought against him by Guatemalan
adoption lawyer Susan Luarca following a 1997 press
conference in which Harris said a number of lawyers were
involved in child trafficking.
The court reconvened briefly on Friday where a clerk
read the complete trial history to the judges. Also on
Friday, Harris declined Luarca's out-of-court settlement
offer. On Thursday (January 22), she had agreed to settle
if Harris would make a public apology to her and pay an
undetermined monetary sum.
Harris could be handed a five-year prison sentence. He
heads the Casa Alianza, an organisation which cares for
homeless children on the streets of Central American
nations. It is also a branch of the U.S. group Covenant
House.
Human rights groups view the case as a test of
Guatemala's commitment to free speech and expressed alarm
that Harris was being tried in a criminal court.
Harris said that according to Guatemala's Constitution,
he shouldn't be in criminal court.
"The Guatemalan constitution is very clear in Article
35, where it says that any problems related to freedom of
speech should be tried in a media court of law [referring
to a type of court in Guatemala that only handles cases
related to what is printed in the media or aired on
television]," he explained.
The charges were brought against him by Luarca, a
Guatemalan adoption lawyer, following a 1997 news
conference in which Harris said a number of lawyers were
involved in child trafficking.
Luarca's lawyer Walter Robles said the defence needs to
show proof.
"But the reality is that today, in the second day of
the trial, we haven't seen any proof against my client, we
haven't seen any proof that accuses my client of committing
a crime in this country," he said.
The case has been in the judicial process since the
accusation. In 1999, Guatemala's Constitutional Court ruled
that only journalists are entitled to freedom of expression
and that Harris should be prosecuted in the criminal courts.
Harris has long been an outspoken opponent of illegal
adoptions. Britain awarded him an honors title, the Order
of the British Empire, in 2000.
Lawyer Luarca has accused Harris of damaging her
reputation in a 1997 news conference in which the activist
presented what he said was evidence of child trafficking.
Luarca says that none of the allegations have been proved.
With nearly 3,000 babies leaving the country last year,
Guatemala has the highest per capita rate of international
adoptions in the world.
Attempts to implement stricter laws governing the
practice have repeatedly been frustrated in Congress.
The case was adjourned until Monday (January 26)
afternoon.
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