Parliament moves to close adoption loophole exposed by woman with 21 overseas children

A New Zealand woman investigated for people trafficking in 2017 subsequently adopted 21 children from overseas with minimal formal scrutiny. Police concluded the conduct didn't meet trafficking thresholds but flagged concerns about her controlling the children's finances. The case prompted Parliament to introduce the Overseas Adoptions Legislation Bill in May 2026, requiring international adoptions from non-Hague countries to undergo Family Court judicial oversight—oversight that didn't previously exist.