Twenty-five years ago, Mary, a 55 year old Indian-born nurse who now lives in Great Britain, was married and living in Chennai, India. In 1998, her husband Phillip, who worked on a ship, deserted her and her three children: two sons - Selvaraj and Manicka Yesuraj - and a daughter Lourdu. Mary was left alone to support herself and her children--an especially tough task for a woman alone in India.
She turned to the local Catholic Church, Church of Our Lady of Consolation at Vysarpadi for help with her children.
‘‘I trusted the priest Fehlooz and admitted my son there. However, one day, my son [Manicka Yesuraj] went missing mysteriously. I had approached the local police station to trace my son, but they closed the file after declaring me as mentally deranged,’’ alleged Mary.
A decade later Mary was finally able to learn something of what became of her son when a church worker helped her locate a photo of him along with some text written in Dutch.
Meanwhile, Mary became a nurse and immigrated, along with her remaining children, to Great Britain. There she continued to wonder about what had become of her son and to continue her search as to his whereabouts.
Mary's daughter Lourdu also became involved:
‘‘I inquired with my friends and got the address in Holland in 1998. I struggled for more than six years to trace Yesuraj. I approached many social service agencies, the Holland Embassy and even private detective agencies. Finally, when I finally got the address of Yesuraj in 2004, his adopted parent T--- P---, did not allow us to meet my brother. They had changed his name to Manicka Yesuraj T--- P---,’’
According to Lourdu, their family had been "cheated by the priest" and the "whole process of [her brother's] adoption is illegal."
According to Lourdu, to facilitate the international adoption, her brother Manicka Yesuraj had been given a new identity. With this new identity Yesuraj had been represented as being an orphan and was offered for adoption. Subsequently he was internationally adopted by the his Dutch adoptive parents and left India on March 14, 1978 using a passport with his false identity.
Mary and her two children were finally allowed to see their son/brother Manicka Yesuraj about two years ago.
Manicka Yesuraj himself was "taken aback by the new development" and subsequently asked Mary to prove that she was his mother
Mary must now do so. (presumably with DNA?)
Meanwhile, Mary has filed a complaint with Indian police who are investigating.
‘‘We have received a petition and if necessary, we will re-open the original missing case registered in 1978,’’ said one of the police officers.
This post is based on an article in the Indian Express:
After 25-year search, Woman Traces Son
Desiree
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