Researchers

Elvira Loibl is founder of the network Facing the Past. She an assistant professor in criminology and criminal law at Maastricht University, Faculty of Law where she does research into illegal intercountry adoption and its aftermath, focusing on the role and responsibilities of the receiving countries. Elvira is frequently consulted by governments and commissions addressing issues related to intercountry adoption. Her academic work on the subject is widely recognized and frequently cited in official inquiries and reports on this phenomenon.

E-mail address: elvira.loibl@maastrichtuniversity.nl
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/?trk=guest_homepage-basic_nav-header-signin

Loibl, E. (2024). “Receiving States’ Obligations in the Aftermath of Illegal Intercountry Adoptions as Enforced Disappearances.” In Loibl, E., Smolin, D.M. (eds.), Facing the Past: Policies and Good Practices for Responses to Illegal Intercountry Adoptions. Eleven International Publishing, The Hague, available at

Loibl, E., Mackenzie, S. (2023). “The organisation of crime in the transnational adoption market.” In Nelen, H., Siegel, D. (eds.), Organized Crime in the 21st Century. Motivations, Opportunities, and Constraints. Springer, Cham, 25-42, available at https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-21576-6_3.

Loibl, E. (2022). “Abdi Ibrahim v. Norway: A New Zeitgeist Regarding (Intercultural) Adoptions at the ECtHR.” Strasbourg Observers, available at https://strasbourgobservers.com/2022/04/11/abdi-ibrahim-v-norway-a-new-zeitgeist-regarding-intercultural-adoptions-at-the-ecthr/.

Loibl, E. (2022). “Eine kritische Betrachtung des deutschen Auslandsadoptionssystems und dessen Zukunft.” Das Jugendamt, 4, 182-185, available at https://cris.maastrichtuniversity.nl/en/publications/eine-kritische-betrachtung-des-deutschen-auslandsadoptionssystems.

Loibl, E. (2022). “The Future of Intercountry Adoptions in the Netherlands: Challenges and Possible Reforms.” Tijdschrift voor Familie- en Jeugdrecht, 44(2), 69-75, available at https://cris.maastrichtuniversity.nl/en/publications/the-future-of-intercountry-adoptions-in-the-netherlands-challenge.

Loibl, E. (2021). “The aftermath of transnational illegal adoptions: Redressing human rights violations in the intercountry adoption system with instruments of transitional justice.” Childhood, 28(4), 477-491, available at https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09075682211064430.

Loibl, E. (2021). “The ECHR and private intercountry adoptions in Germany and the Netherlands: Lessons learned from Campanelli and Paradiso v. Italy.” Family & Law, 2021, 1-19, available at https://www.familyandlaw.eu/tijdschrift/fenr/2021/01/FENR-D-20-00002.

Loibl, E. (2020). “Trafficking in Children for Adoption Purposes: A Criminological Analysis of the Illegal Adoption Market.” In Winterdyk J. A. and Jones J. (eds.), The Palgrave International Handbook of Human Trafficking. Palgrave Macmillan, available at https://cris.maastrichtuniversity.nl/en/publications/child-trafficking-for-adoption-purposes-a-criminological-analysis.

Loibl, E. (2019). “The German and Dutch intercountry adoption systems: Weaknesses that facilitate the trafficking in children for the purpose of adoption.” Tijdschrift voor Familie- en Jeugdrecht, 5, 104-110. Article FJR 2019/24, available at https://cris.maastrichtuniversity.nl/en/publications/the-german-and-dutch-intercountry-adoption-systems-weaknesses-tha.

Loibl, E. (2019). The Transnational Illegal Adoption Market: A Criminological Study on the German and Dutch Intercountry Adoption Systems. Eleven International Publishing, The Hague (Dissertation), available at https://cris.maastrichtuniversity.nl/en/publications/the-transnational-illegal-adoption-market-a-criminological-study-.

Observant, “Preventing adoption abuses is almost impossible”, 03.09.2024, available at https://www.observantonline.nl/english/Home/Articles/id/62108/preventing-adoption-abuses-is-almost-impossible.

BNNVARA, Zembla – “Adoptiebedrog, het einde? “, 23.06.2024, available at https://www.bnnvara.nl/zembla/videos/610118.

Trouw, “Nederland adopteert kinderen uit Hongarije, hoewel er behoorlijk wat mis lijkt“, 22.06.2024, available at https://www.trouw.nl/binnenland/nederland-adopteert-kinderen-uit-hongarije-hoewel-er-behoorlijk-wat-mis-lijkt~b9e17f28/?referrer=https://www.google.com/.

Investico, “Kritiek op adoptieland Hongarije verdween uit rapport Justitie”, 22.06.2024, available at https://www.platform-investico.nl/onderzoeken/kritiek-op-adoptieland-hongarije-verdween-uit-rapport-justitie.

BNNVARA, “Minister Weerwind: ‘Nog 500 lopende adoptieprocedures'”, 21.06.2024, available at https://www.bnnvara.nl/zembla/artikelen/grote-zorgen-over-adopties-uit-bulgarije-hongarije-en-de-filipijnen-minister-weerwind-nog-500-lopende-adoptieprocedures.

NRK, “3. Illusjonen slår sprekker”, 27.11.2023, available at https://tv.nrk.no/serie/gitt-bort/sesong/1/episode/MDNY16300322.

Deutschlandrundfunk, “Illegale Auslandsadoptionen: Wie Adoptierte Aufklärung fordern”, 18.03.2023, available at https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/adoption-ausland-illegal-100.html.

Trouw, “Hoe vaak gaat het tegenwoordig nog mis bij adopties? ‘Het aantal fouten moet nul worden’”, 17.02.2021, available at https://www.trouw.nl/binnenland/hoe-vaak-gaat-het-tegenwoordig-nog-mis-bij-adopties-het-aantal-fouten-moet-nul-worden~b2c9772c/.

Maastricht University, “Abuses in the adoption system”, 08.02.2021, available at https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/news/abuses-adoption-system.

FIOM, “Illegale adopties”, 27.06.2019, available at https://fiom.nl/adoptie/adoptieouders/illegale-adopties.

NRC, “Adoptiesysteem stimuleert wegkijken van wanpraktijken”, 15.05.2019, available at https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2019/05/15/adoptiesysteem-stimuleert-wegkijken-van-wanpraktijken-a3960351.

De Telegraaf, “Ook ‘legale’ adopties kunnen illegaal zijn”, 15.05.2019, available at https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/3589265/ook-legale-adopties-kunnen-illegaal-zijn.

NPO, Radio 1 – “Dewi Deijle over illegale adoptie”, 29.04.2019, available at https://www.nporadio1.nl/fragmenten/spraakmakers/7df02ed3-7204-4fcb-af5c-259d8b602172/2019-04-29-dewi-deijle-over-illegale-adoptie.

Elvira's blogs