4/12/2019 Middle-class childless couple arrested in Athens for allegedly buying a Roma child | Daily Mail Online

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arrested in Athens for allegedly buying Ad closed by a Roma child as Greek crackdown Report this ad continues Why this ad? Couple, aged 53 an d 48, allegedly paid a Roma woman 4,000 euros for baby They are now awaiting charges of child abduction expected later today

Sasha Ruseva claims she did not sell Maria, who is now four years old Says she was forced to leave daughter with friend in Greece because she could not afford the legal documents to take her back to Bulgaria But Daily Mail can reveal a woman sharing her name has twice been arrested for trying to sell babies in Greece - and skipped bail both times

By ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTER and NICK FAGGE FOR THE DAILY MAIL and TOM KELLY FOR THE DAILY MAIL and BEN SPENCER FOR THE DAILY MAIL PUBLISHED: 07:07 EDT, 25 October 2013 | UPDATED: 08:03 EDT, 25 October 2013 25 View comments Expand Close

Greek police said today they have arrested a childless couple in Athens on suspicion Like Follow of buying an eight-month-old Roma girl and trying to register her as their own. Daily Mail Daily Mail

Follow Follow The arrest comes amid an international search for the parents of another little girl @DailyMail Daily Mail known as Maria who was found living with unrelated Gypsies in Greece. Follow w Follow @dailymailuk Daily Mail e a 0:41 / 1:04 j n h m t https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2476468/Middle-class-childless-couple-arrested-Athens-allegedly-buying-Roma-child.html 1/43 4/12/2019 Middle-class childless couple arrested in Athens for allegedly buying a Roma child | Daily Mail Online Bulgarian authorities are now trying to establish whether local Roma woman Sasha FEMAIL TODAY Ruseva, 35, is the mother of Maria, a strikingly-fair girl aged 5 or 6. Angelina Jolie 'wants to get back together The woman has been tested for a DNA match and served with preliminary charges of with Brad Pitt so they can be a family again - child selling, but has not been detained. and is dragging out their divorce negotiations'

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Ashley Judd reveals Gypsy dwelling: A Bulgarian Roma woman in front of a house with a child in the Roma district she had an abortion of the central Bulgarian town of Nikolaevo after being raped and was told she would legally be forced to co- parent with her sexual assaulter

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Taken? Greek police said today they have arrested a childless couple in Athens - some 600 Lori Loughlin 'thinks any mom would have miles from this Roma Gypsy camp in Bulgaria - on suspicion of buying an eight-month-old done the same' as she Roma girl and trying to register her as their own faces prison for paying $500,000 in bribes to get her two daughters into college

RHOBH star Teddi Mellencamp puts her Hollywood Hills mansion above the Sunset Strip on the market for a cool $3.2MILLION w Iskra Lawrence 0:41 / 1:04 e a showcases her j n h m t https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2476468/Middle-class-childless-couple-arrested-Athens-allegedly-buying-Roma-child.html 2/43 4/12/2019 Middle-class childless couple arrested in Athens for allegedly buying a Roma child | Daily Mail Online sensational curves in a collection of tiny swimwear during her idyllic Maldives getaway

In Bulgaria: A Bulgarian Roma girl smiles holding a toddler on her back in a Roma neighborhood of Nikolaevo, where Maria's alleged family are from

The case of Maria has drawn global attention, playing on the shocking possibility of children being stolen from their parents and sold. But its handling by media and authorities raised has concerns of racism toward the European Union's estimated 6 million Gypsies - a minority long marginalized in most of the continent.

The couple arrested in Athens on Wednesday allegedly paid a Roma woman 4,000 euros (£3,400) for the baby, a Greek police statement said. Authorities are looking for the baby's birth parents and potential intermediaries in the alleged transaction.

Priyanka Chopra, 36, SHARE THIS RELATED ARTICLES admits she didn't expect ARTICLE to marry husband Nick I want my Maria back: Two blond children Jonas, 26, as she judged the singer before The Roma mother of returned to their Roma getting to know him ten, held twice for... parents in Ireland...

Will Smith keeps cool The suspects, aged 53 and 48, were expected to be charged later today with child while Martin Lawrence ogles bikini-clad beach abduction, which under Greek law can include cases where a minor is voluntarily babes as they film Bad given away by its parents outside the legal adoption process. Boys For Life The stars were fully character in Miami The same charges were brought against the couple with whom Maria was found Expand Close living in a Roma settlement outside Farsala, in central Greece, a week ago. They have Jussie Smollett is sued by the city of been jailed pending trial and are also suspected of fraudulently obtaining birth Chicago after refusing to pay police $130k as certificates for a total 14 children. cell phone records reveal he called his 'attackers'

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Tara Reid looks stylish in a bold purple mini 'Blonde angel': The arrest comes amid an international search for the parents of another little dress and faux fur coat girl known as Maria (left) who was found living with unrelated Gypsies in Greece. Bulgarian as she arrives at Craig's in West Hollywood authorities are now trying to establish whether local Roma woman Sasha Ruseva (right), 35, is The 43-year-old made a her mother chic appearance

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A Bulgarian Roma boy eats in front of a house in the Roma district of the central Bulgarian town of Nikolaevo

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w e a 0:41 / 1:04 j n h m t https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2476468/Middle-class-childless-couple-arrested-Athens-allegedly-buying-Roma-child.html 4/43 4/12/2019 Middle-class childless couple arrested in Athens for allegedly buying a Roma child | Daily Mail Online

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Sofia Richie drapes her famous figure in an all-black ensemble as she enjoys some retail therapy in Beverly Hills She just got back from a Concern: The case of Maria has drawn global attention, playing on the shocking possibility of holiday with children being stolen from their parents and sold Brielle Biermann flaunts massive pout after clapping back at Instagram troll who slammed her lip fillers Daughter of Kim Zolciak- Biermann

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Game Of Thrones star Charges: The suspects, aged 53 and 48, were expected to be charged later today with child Nathalie Emmanuel Expand Close abduction, which under Greek law can include cases where a minor is voluntarily given away reveals she was 'struggling financially' by its parents outside the legal adoption process and nearly gave up acting before landing HBO role

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Scam? Greek authorities are trying to work out whether the children all exist, or whether the alleged document fraud was part of a welfare scam - the couple allegedly received more than 2,500 euros a month in family benefits

Greek authorities are trying to work out whether the children all exist, or whether the alleged document fraud was part of a welfare scam - the couple allegedly received more than 2,500 euros a month in family benefits.

They insist they were looking after Maria with their own five children after an Kelly Clarkson compliments Chrissy informally arranged adoption. Teigen 's mid-makeup mirror selfie from an airport bathroom The girl was placed into the care of a children's charity and her DNA details were Spreading love from one provided to Interpol which has so far failed to match her to any missing children mother to another declared in its records, from Poland to the U.S. Jenna Dewan is a denim darling as she grabs some lunch with a male pal while out and about in sunny Los Angeles

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w Informal: The couple in Greece insist they were looking after Maria with their own five children after an informally arranged adoption (pictured: a Roma family in Bulgaria) e a 0:41 / 1:04 Snooki says she's going t to name her third child j n h m https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2476468/Middle-class-childless-couple-arrested-Athens-allegedly-buying-Roma-child.html 6/43 4/12/2019 Middle-class childless couple arrested in Athens for allegedly buying a Roma child | Daily Mail Online Angelo as she prepares to welcome baby boy and posts pictures of gifts from friends

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Charges: The same abduction charges were brought against the couple with whom Maria was Girls star Allison found living in this Roma settlement outside Farsala, in central Greece, a week ago Williams cuts a chic figure in elegant floral gown as she attends the It comes after mother-of-ten Mrs Ruseva, the Bulgarian Roma woman believed to be DVF Awards in New the real mother of Maria - dubbed the 'blonde angel' - demanded authorities hand York Demure look her daughter back. Joseph Gordon-Levitt Mrs Ruseva, 35, claimed she did not sell Maria, now four, but was forced to leave her puts his historical 3,771-square-foot, four daughter with a friend in Greece as a baby because she could not afford the legal bedroom home in Los Angeles for sale with documents required to take her home to Bulgaria. $3.85 million listing price But the Daily Mail can reveal that a woman of her name has twice previously been arrested for trying to sell babies in Greece – and on both occasions skipped bail. Kit Harington reveals he 'broke down and cried' when a fan asked him about Jon Snow after filming 'intense' final season of Game Of Thrones

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He's back! Star Wars' Alan Tudyk will reprise his role as Rogue One droid K-2SO for film's Disney+ prequel TV show A DNA test has confirmed Sasha Ruseva a Bulgarian Roma woman is the mother of a mystery girl known as Maria, found living with a couple in Greece Mandy Moore supports This Is Us co-star Chrissy Metz at LA premiere of her movie Breakthrough On trend as always in aw silky neon green dress e a 0:41 / 1:04 j n h m t https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2476468/Middle-class-childless-couple-arrested-Athens-allegedly-buying-Roma-child.html 7/43 4/12/2019 Middle-class childless couple arrested in Athens for allegedly buying a Roma child | Daily Mail Online

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The Mail tracked down Mrs Ruseva, who police believe will be shown by DNA tests to be Maria’s real mother, to an impoverished gypsy camp in Nikolaevo in rural Bulgaria where her family share a one-room home without running water.

Her husband Atana Rusev, 37, has an albino gene in his family that may have resulted in Maria’s blonde hair and pale complexion.

Five of the couple’s other children are blonde and closely resemble Maria.

Mystery has surrounded the identity of the parents of the blue-eyed girl since she was discovered after police raided a Roma gypsy camp in central Greece last week. Game of Thrones' Jerome Flynn asks people to STOP buying SHARE THIS RELATED ARTICLES Huskies after rise in ARTICLE abandoned dogs fuelled I want my Maria back: Two blond children by fans snapping up The Roma mother of returned to their Roma their own 'direwolves' ten, held twice for... parents in Ireland... 'Going to Coachella on crutches!' Influencer Tammy Hembrow A couple who posed as her parents for four years to make money from her begging 'breaks her ankle' just are believed to have bought the child for £850. days out from attending the music festival in California Maria’s case attracted global attention, with thousands of calls from people who believe they may know her identity. Lily Collins reveals her April Fool's pregnancy prank tricked her Mrs Ruseva wept yesterday as she insisted: ‘I did not sell Maria, nor did I give her brother, 17... after sparking baby rumours away. For the past four years I have never forgotten Maria. I pray for her every day. I while posing with a want her back, I want her back.’ prosthetic bump Expand Close 'Festival welcome party': Victoria's Secret reveals her trim figure in a flirty white frock as she celebrates the start of Coachella

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Game Of Thrones star Lena Headey jokes she's now 'heavily unemployed' and reveals 'incest and Mother-of-ten Sasha Ruseva, 35, whose children are pictured here, claims she did not sell dragons' attracted her to the role Maria

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Nicky Hilton Rothschild is beautiful in blue midi dress at 10th Annual DVF Awards in New York The 35-year-old heiress looked absolutely stunning A woman with the name Sasha Ruseva has twice previously been arrested for trying to sell babies in Greece Chris Hemsworth remains tight-lipped on the fate of Thor in Avengers: Endgame as he deftly avoids EXCLUSIVE: 'Maria' dancing in Greek gypsy camp in September questions about his Marvel contract ending

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Richard Madden

A f A d 0:00 / 0:43 j n h m k i t reveals initial 'disinterest' in moving Mrs Ruseva, who was just 13 when she had her first child, said she was pregnant with to Los Angeles but Bodyguard star admits Maria when she went to Greece to work as a field hand on a farm with her husband. 'proactive' lifestyle suits him more She said her eldest daughter remained in Bulgaria to look after her other children Ariel Winter splurges but that arrangement stopped when she got married and wanted to move out, on pizza after revealing forcing Mrs Ruseva to return home. she dropped weight when changing her antidepressant She claimed she could not bring Maria back with her as the Greek authorities medication revved up required she pay ‘hundreds of euros’ for a birth certificate for her daughter, which her metabolism

she could not afford. What a little cutie! Isla Fisher shares a sweet She said: ‘I gave birth to Maria about four and a half years ago. I can’t remember the Instagram snap of herself as a child and exact date. pays tribute to her brothers to celebrate National Sibling Day ‘I cared for Maria for seven months but I had to come back to Bulgaria look after my other children. Tom Hiddleston and Paul Bettany will star in two of three new Marvel ‘I left my daughter with my room-mate. She is also Roma. When I left Maria I asked spinoff series as the woman to send her to Bulgaria. But she hasn’t. I cannot remember her name, it Disney+ streaming service shows are was four years ago. announced

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Chrissy Metz hits the red carpet for the LA premiere of her movie This is the family's one-bedroom home in the impoverished gypsy camp in Nikolaevo in rural Breakthrough in red Bulgaria gown with sheer black overlay paired with black sandals Expand Close ‘I missed Maria but I don’t have any money so I did not know what to do. I called the woman several times and I knew she was safe and well. I don’t know why she kept radiates glamour in off-white her so long, why they did not send her back to me. wrap dress and sky- high black heels as she steps out in Manhattan ‘I don’t have enough money to call the woman in Greece any more so I stopped days after running the trying to get in touch with her. I didn’t know what was happening with my child. But I Berlin Half Marathon

have never stopped wanting her, she is my own flesh and blood.’ Lady Amelia Windsor channels the 90s in a Mrs Ruseva and her husband registered the birth of a child four years ago at a violet cardigan and a green houndstooth skirt hospital in Lamia, an hour from the Farsala camp where Maria was found. at fashion event Minor royal is Prince William's third cousin Greek police think Maria may have been sold on by a baby-smuggling gang who w offer newborns to childless couples for up to £22,000. It is believed that Maria was One Direction's Louis e a 0:41 / 1:04 Tomlinson reveals howj n h m t writing his new single https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2476468/Middle-class-childless-couple-arrested-Athens-allegedly-buying-Roma-child.html 10/43 4/12/2019 Middle-class childless couple arrested in Athens for allegedly buying a Roma child | Daily Mail Online sold for a knockdown price because police were moving in on child smugglers in the Two of Us helped him mourn his mother - just area. weeks after his sister, 18, was also found dead ADVERTISEMENT

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