Court Deals Birth Mother Blow in Fight for Adopted Twins

A Florida appellate court has upheld a decision to terminate the parental rights of a woman charged with kidnapping her twins from their adoptive parents last December.

Posted 3:45 p.m. Jul 16, 2007 — Updated 4:07 p.m. Jul 16, 2007

RALEIGH, N.C. — A Florida appellate court has upheld a decision to terminate the parental rights of a woman charged with kidnapping her twins from their adoptive parents last December.

Allison Lee Quets, 49, has been indicted on two counts of international parental kidnapping after her twins, who were 17 months old at the time, weren't returned to their adoptive parents in Apex after a routine weekend visit. Quets was arrested a week later in Ottawa, Ontario, and the children were returned to the Apex couple.

Quets has been fighting for custody of the children since shortly after giving them up for adoption. She has said she signed the adoption papers under duress and was ill after a suffering medical problems during her pregnancy.

The Florida First District Court of Appeals recently upheld a lower court's ruling terminating Quets' parental rights in the case. Her supporters have started a petition drive to have the court issue an opinion in the case, which would allow them to appeal it to the state Supreme Court.

Quets is being held without bond at the Franklin County Jail.

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