Tristan Dowse

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Tristan Dowse (June 26, 2001-) (original and restored name Erwin Reynaldi) was the child at the center of a controversial international adoption case involving Ireland and Indonesia. He was born in Jakarta, Indonesia and adopted at the age of two months by Irishman Joe Dowse and his Azerbijani wife Lala. Lala already had one daughter from a previous marriage but the couple were having problems conceiving another child. The adoption was registered with the Irish Adoption Board and Tristan was given an Irish passport.

When Tristan was two years old and Lala had become pregnant again, the Dowses returned him to the orphanage where they had adopted him, saying the adoption “didn’t work out” and they had problems bonding with the child. At this time, Tristan spoke only English and had problems communicating with others in the orphanage. Later, Lala gave birth to a baby boy.

A dispute broke out between the Indonesian Department of Social Affairs, which claimed that the adoption was illegal, and the Irish Adoption Board, which refused to accept this claim. For some time, Tristan’s legal status and nationality was uncertain.

In 2005, investigative journalist Ann McElhinney and Irish Production Company Esras Films reunited the young boy with his natural mother, Suryani. The resulting documentary “The Search for Tristan's Mum” was broadcast by Irish television station RTE.

In 2006, an Irish court ordered the Dowses to pay an immediate lump sum of €20,000 to Tristan, maintenance of €350 per month until he is 18 years of age, and a further lump sum of €25,000 when he reaches the age of 18. In addition, Tristan would remain an Irish citizen and enjoy all the rights to the Dowses’ estate. Tristan’s adoption was struck off the Register of Foreign Adoptions held by the Irish Adoption Board and Suryani was appointed his sole legal guardian.

He is now living in Kaligayam Village, Tegal, Central Java, Indonesia, with Suryani and his siblings. He was also given a name Ahmad Khaeroni by a village elder. ^[1]