Nancy Bailey, 64, was finally acquitted last Thursday after being jailed for child trafficking in October.
During her seven-month wait, Bailey felt constantly worried that she would be cheated out of a fair trial. Her health hasn’t been optimal; she had to hospitalized several times during her stay in prison.
The prosecution based their accusations on the testimony of a former employee of Bailey’s children’s home, Seeds of Love (Semillas de Amor), claiming that Bailey had been falsifying children’s paperwork.
Bailey’s defense lawyer, Abraham Giron, told Al Jazeera Media Network, “My client never carried out any illegal activities. She might have been the children’s home director, but a woman named Gloria Aldana was responsible for its operations. She took advantage of Nancy Bailey’s trust and carried out these activities. My client didn’t know.”
The Guatemalan court found her not guilty.
As it turns out, Aldana had also been under fire for adoption fraud, and had been testifying against Bailey to receive a reduced sentence.
WCAI reported, “One of the judges in the case scolded the prosecution for its lack of objectivity and impartiality in mounting the case against Bailey.”
Bailey won’t be allowed to leave the country for a while. She has to wait for the appeal process to be completed, which could take over a year. Her son Joel Peters said, “She is free to move about, work, and be with the kids, but she must stay in Guatemala unless she has special permission to travel.”
Click here to read about the events leading up to the trial.
