Last Sunday, June 14, a foreign citizen was falsely accused of abuse of a minor in the city of Bogotá. Grant Gail from Texas, United States, was detained by authorities after neighbors in the area raised an alert upon seeing the man on a balcony accompanied by a child. Later, it was revealed that the American was undergoing an adoption process in the country and authorities determined that there was no abuse or mistreatment. The man was arrested by the Police amid a tense situation that almost ended in aggression against the foreigner. Gail spoke about the events with Revista Semana.
In the interview, he explained that, together with his wife, they had dreamed of having a large family and, after suffering multiple losses, they decided to adopt in 2024. “When we started researching international adoption, our agency sent us information about their program in Colombia. Since we both grew up in a Hispanic cultural environment and knew that the children would have a strong bond with their culture in the place where we live,” he explained.
Then, they came across the profiles of three Colombian children and felt what Gail describes as an immediate connection: “We knew right away, deep in our hearts, that they were always meant to be our children.” Then, they started the process to adopt the minors. He noted that both he and his wife attended parenting training, underwent psychological evaluations, and background checks so that the ICBF (Colombian Institute of Family Welfare) would approve the adoption.
After only having remote contact, the couple met the minors for the first time on June 9, just a few days before the misunderstanding.
According to the foreigner to the cited media, on the day of the events, the middle child got angry with his younger brother, who started playing with a toy car that had been bought for the other little one. “Our middle child has a history of behavioral problems. In many of the mandatory trainings we took, we were taught to handle these problems kindly,” he said.
Although Gail’s partner tried to control the situation, the child “started throwing furniture and I saw that my wife needed help, so I offered to take him to the balcony to help him calm down (…) Once on the balcony, I started patting my son on the back and telling him that everything was okay and that we just needed to calm down.”
Meanwhile, he said a neighbor began shouting and pointing at them from afar. Within minutes, the Police were at the apartment door. “Worried about my son’s safety, I took him inside to continue calming him down. At that moment, I heard my wife screaming for help and crying. When I entered the living room, there were two men trying to force the door open and yelling at my wife to let them in, saying they wanted to take my son. They even put their foot in the door to prevent us from closing it.”
‘I was confused because I didn’t understand what was happening’
“The moments that followed will be forever etched in the memory of my entire family, as the decisions of those people have completely and permanently changed our lives,” he continued narrating. He assured that, during the first 48 hours, he did not understand what was happening and then worried about his family. “I was confused because I didn’t understand what was happening (…) I felt fear when they hurriedly took me out, escorted by the Police, through the crowd that was waiting and wanted to kill me. I want to thank the Police for doing an incredible job and ensuring due process was respected. Without them, I don’t think I would be here.”
He added: “When they escorted me out of the house, they covered me as much as possible. The only thing I could see was the ground and people’s feet while they tried to kick me in the face. Then they forcibly put me in a police van to get to the station as quickly as possible.”
He then confessed that he never thought about stopping the adoption process and returning to his country only with his partner after learning that the news with the accusations reached the United States. Besides worrying about his safety and that of his family. “At that moment, I couldn’t believe how all that had happened, going from comforting my son to being accused of committing a heinous crime.”
To clarify what happened, the testimony of the child was fundamental, who told the authorities what was happening on the balcony. The eldest daughter, who was also present in the apartment at the time of the events, also gave her version. “The truth had already been clearly established, but this will haunt us for life and will never really end,” said Gail.
He sent a message to President Gustavo Petro, who retracted over accusations
Amid the case, President Gustavo Petro spoke on his official X account and pointed to the foreign citizen investigated for alleged aggression against a minor and in another tweet retracted: “I must notify Colombian society, because my commitment is to the truth, that the North American citizen originally from Texas, arrested in an apartment in northern Bogotá, apparently did not violate any of his adopted children in Colombia.”
The American also spoke about this: “I am a normal worker and have no political aspirations, so advising the president of Colombia is beyond what I would do. I would tell everyone who has power and uses a public platform to use it responsibly. Do not make comments without knowing the facts. Democracies are built on a justice system for a reason.”
About the family’s future, Gail said: “Our hope for our family is that we continue to grow and strengthen our bonds as a family, with love and mutual respect. We hope our children never forget the country they come from (…) We hope to provide our children with all the opportunities to grow, thrive, and become successful adults.”
EL TIEMPO Editorial