Sushma Swaraj Asks for Probe Into the Adoption of Sherin Mathews

Sini Mathews, adoptive mother of Sherin Mathews, denies having any involvement in her death.

Mother denies any involvement in the death of adopted daughter, Sherin Mathews (left).

Photo courtesy: The News Minute

Union Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj on 27 October, Friday, said that she has requested the Ministry for Women and Child Development for a probe into the adoption process of three-year-old Sherin Mathews, who was allegedly killed by her adopted father Wesley Mathews.

In a series of tweets, Swaraj also said that she has requested the Indian Embassy in Houston to ensure that the child’s death ended on a “logical conclusion”.

She further added that passport for adopted children will be provided only after clearance was provided by the Women and Child Development ministry.

Mother Not Involved: Police

The adoptive mother of the 3-year-old Indian girl, whose body was found on Sunday from a culvert near their home in suburban Dallas, Texas, has denied any involvement in the death of her daughter.

Lawyers Michelle Nolte and Gregg Gibbs, representing Sini Mathews published a statement late yesterday saying she denied any involvement in the death of her adopted daughter.

In the statement, the lawyers insist that Mathews cooperated with the Richardson Police investigation into her daughter's disappearance on 7 October. She was "interrogated for hours by several officers with no attorney present" a few days later, as per the statement.

Now that Mr Mathews has turned himself in to the police and told them what happened to Sherin, we see no need for Mrs Mathews to endure further police interrogation. She had nothing to do with Sherin’s death or the removal of her body from the home.

Part of the Statement put forth by Mathews’ lawyers. 

The police previously said Sini Mathews initially cooperated in the investigation on 7 October, but then stopped. This week, police said Mathews provided dental records and identified clothing found with Sherin's body in order to help the medical examiner make a positive ID.

Wesley Mathews is the only person charged with a crime in Sherin's disappearance and death. On Monday, police arrested him for a second time on an injury to a child charge after he told them that Sherin died when she choked on her milk.

According to court records, Wesley Mathews previously told detectives his wife was sleeping when Sherin disappeared. He also told police his adopted daughter Sherin disappeared while being punished, when she was forced to stand outside by a tree at 3 am for not drinking her milk. Later, when the body was found, he changed his story and said that his daughter choked to death after he "physically assisted" her in drinking her milk.

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