A Desperate Cry from Overseas
A 21-year-old woman from Odisha, adopted by an American couple eight years ago, has made a heart-wrenching appeal for help, alleging severe physical and mental abuse at the hands of her foster mother in the United States. Identifying herself as Puja, she released a viral video in English and Odia, appealing to the Odisha government to intervene and bring her home. Her allegations include forced conversion attempts to Christianity, relentless household labor, and life-threatening threats when she resisted.
Puja’s case highlights the vulnerabilities of Indian children adopted abroad and raises urgent questions about the protection, monitoring, and welfare of inter-country adoptees.
Puja’s Harrowing Account: Years of Abuse
According to Puja, her ordeal began shortly after her adoption in 2018, when she was 14 years old. She claims that her foster mother subjected her to continuous harassment, forced excessive domestic chores, restricted her access to food, and coerced her to abandon her Hindu faith. She alleges that her life was threatened twice when she refused conversion attempts, leaving her in a constant state of fear.
Puja’s visa expired in 2023, leaving her trapped in the U.S. without legal protection. Her appeals, made publicly through social media, have drawn international attention and sparked outrage among Indian citizens and child welfare advocates alike.
From Odisha to America
Puja was born in the Kolatia area of Odisha and went missing as a young child during a train journey. Rescued by Childline, she spent time in a girls’ shelter in Nilgiri, Balasore district, and later at a children’s home in Bhubaneswar, where she continued her education. She was eventually adopted by an American couple—a move intended to provide stability—but which, according to her, became a source of trauma and abuse.
Her situation is now under urgent review. The Balasore district administration has contacted the State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA) and the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), which in turn has informed India’s Ministry of External Affairs to coordinate with U.S. authorities for her safe repatriation.
Similar Cases and Lessons Learned
Puja’s case is not isolated. Over the years, several Indian children adopted abroad have reported physical abuse, exploitation, and coercive religious conversion, exposing gaps in international adoption oversight. These incidents underline the need for:
· Enhanced monitoring of foreign adoptive families
· Regular welfare checks by Indian agencies
· Legal frameworks ensuring children’s cultural and religious rights
· Swift diplomatic mechanisms to intervene when adoptees face abuse
Child rights experts stress that inter-country adoption must balance the child’s safety, emotional well-being, and cultural identity, alongside parental responsibilities.
Preventing Abuse in Inter-Country Adoptions
To prevent such situations, authorities must strengthen pre-adoption vetting, maintain post-adoption follow-ups, and ensure that children have accessible channels to report abuse abroad. Collaboration between Indian and foreign governments is critical, alongside awareness campaigns to educate adoptees and guardians about rights and obligations.
The Puja case illustrates how lapses in monitoring and delayed diplomatic responses can exacerbate vulnerabilities, underscoring the need for a proactive, multi-level protection framework.
Urgency and Responsibility
Puja’s plea is a stark reminder of the human cost of inadequate safeguards in inter-country adoptions. Her allegations of abuse and forced religious conversion demand urgent action from Indian authorities, both domestically and internationally.
Her story also serves as a wake-up call to strengthen legal oversight, post-adoption monitoring, and cross-border collaboration to protect vulnerable children. Ensuring her safe repatriation is just the first step; long-term solutions are essential to prevent such tragedies and safeguard the rights and dignity of every child adopted abroad.
(With agency inputs)
