A judge has ordered Colombia’s family welfare institute (ICBF) to return two Colombian minors to the custody of their adoptive father, Chandler Burr, local media reported Monday night.
Upon hearing of the judge’s decision Burr, a journalist and U.S. citizen, said that he is happy and feels that with his case “it [the country] has advanced.”
Director general of the ICBF Diego Molano said it benefits the well-being of the minors aged 10 and 13 to live with their adoptive father in the United States.
The children were removed from Burr’s care after the adoption was legally formalized in March 2011 when the writer casually mentioned he was gay.
Molano said that at the request of the ICBF Burr and the children underwent psychological tests. During the discussions the boys showed no objection to their adoptive father’s sexual orientation and stated that they wanted to be with him.
While the case was being thrashed out the boys were in a ICBF care home, two of 8,800 children who are deemed difficult to adopt because of their age.