Cynthia Webb, a survivor of sexual abuse at the hands of her adoptive father, is fighting for legal reform that allows adults to reverse an adoption, according to information obtained from CBC News.
Webb was thrust back into her traumatic past when she attempted to renew her passport, only to see her abuser’s name still on her birth certificate, even though it had been more than three decades since he was convicted and imprisoned for his crimes against her.
“Having this person on my birth certificate, which is a historical legal document, blows my mind,” Webb told CBC News. “It blows my mind they put it on there to begin with, let alone not having anything in place for adoptees to take their abuser’s name or names off their birth certificate.”
Webb’s harrowing ordeal began when she was just four years old, after her mother married Gerald Lasaga. “They weren’t married for a second before he started to sexually abuse me,” Webb said. The abuse persisted throughout her childhood and teenage years, leading to her becoming pregnant with Lasaga’s child. This child was subsequently placed for adoption, but the abuse didn’t cease.
In 1985, while Webb was attending university in St. John’s, she filed a criminal complaint against Lasaga. CBC News reports show that he was convicted on two counts of having a sexual relationship with a minor. His sentence, however, has been a point of contention for Webb, as he received a mere six-month concurrent sentence for actions committed after her 14th birthday.
“There was a pregnancy and a live birth and an adoption,” she expressed, “He was punished for none of that.”
To compound her misery, Webb disclosed that her mother allowed Lasaga back into their home after his prison release. Webb was further traumatized when she discovered the family that adopted her child had been given her mother’s contact details and had visited her.
Webb has since been on a quest to find a legal avenue to have Lasaga’s name removed from her life. According to CBC News, the Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development stated there is no provincial legislation allowing the reversal of adoptions, but hinted at possible recourse through the Family Court.
Webb contends adults should have autonomy in these decisions, and the process should be less burdensome. “It’s not rational. It should be easy to do. I should not have to be the one going through all this work and stress,” Webb voiced her frustrations.
Now, Cynthia Webb aspires to be an advocate for others who have endured sexual abuse. She fervently hopes that her fight will not only bring her personal vindication but also instigate systemic change for others in similar situations.
“It’s not symbolic in the slightest to me,” Webb asserted. “It’s a major acknowledgment that all of the horrible things that I’ve gone through were not right and the government needs to step up and do what’s right for everybody that’s in my shoes.”
