The Hindu : US woman's husband charged with murder

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 03, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

US woman's husband charged with murder

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, APRIL 2. In a gory twist to the adoption racket, the husband of a woman from United States who sought a girl child from Tender Loving Care (TLC) for adoption has been charged with "unintentional second- degree murder" of his infant son, another child brought in adoption from Gautemala.

The woman, Gail Hunt, had proposed to adopt three- year- old Priyamvada, from TLC. But the Family Court had rejected her application and she went in appeal to the Andhra Pradesh High Court, where the case is pending. Curiously, the TLC during the last two days, started pressing for an urgent hearing of the case in which, Gita Ramaswamy, a social activist had impleaded.

According to Ms. Ramaswamy, reports have appeared in the local newspapers in Minneapolis in US of how Gail Hunt's husband Steven D. Showcatally dropped the seven- month- old adopted baby, Gustavo Hunt into a bathtub "three times, twice intentionally". Gustavo died of severe head injuries. Mr. Showcatally told police that he lost his patience after the child soiled himself just after being given a bath. The incident happened last month. The couple brought the child from Gautemala in adoption after a four -year long search.

Ms. Ramaswamy, who termed the incident, "terribly shameful", wondered how a child could be given in adoption to such "cruel parents". She recalled how Gail Hunt, strongly pleaded her case in the Family Court three years ago, even before she got married to Showcatally. The judge rejected the petition, questioning her ability to bring up the child.

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