Britain’s ‘most hated woman’ who tried to buy twins from the US for £8,200 in cash-for-babies scandal speaks out after 23 years and says she wanted to ‘help someone from the back streets’

A mother who was branded ‘the most hated woman in Britain’ after paying to adopt twins from the US has said she would have given the girls ‘a good life’ and will always be open to ‘answer any questions’ about the scandal.

Judith Kilshaw, from Wales and her husband Alan Kilshaw, found themselves embroiled in a global scandal after they went to adopt twins on the internet in 2001. 

Speaking on ITV’s Lorraine this morning she said she decided to make a documentary – which airs tonight on Channel 5- about the scandal as it was an ‘all female team’.

She added that she wanted to ‘help someone out’ as she had a ‘big farm, with plenty of animals’, adding that she and her husband were ‘comfortable’.

‘I wanted to help someone who was really suffering, someone from the back streets, shambles, that nobody wanted.

‘I wanted a forgotten child. I thought I could give them a nice home with plenty of opportunity.’

A new documentary on the 'cash for babies' scandal will air tonight, featuring Judith Kinslaw (pictured), who was called the 'most hated woman' after she paid to adopt twins from the US

A new documentary on the ‘cash for babies’ scandal will air tonight, featuring Judith Kinslaw (pictured), who was called the ‘most hated woman’ after she paid to adopt twins from the US

Judith, pictured right when she adopted the babies, said she believed she could have given the twins a good life and would always be open to 'answer any questions', despite the legal battle that ensued

Judith, pictured right when she adopted the babies, said she believed she could have given the twins a good life and would always be open to ‘answer any questions’, despite the legal battle that ensued

In 2001, Judith at paid £8,200 in December 2000 to adopt babies Kiara and Keyara Wecker form the US. 

Problems arose when they discovered that another family in the US had also handed over cash for the girls.

The documentary will focus on three women, Tranda, who gave birth to the twin girls, and Californian Vickie Allen, who adopted the twins for a period of time with her husband Richard, and Judith. 

The shocking story began in 2000, when an American single mother, Tranda Wecker, then 28, put her two daughter up for sale on the internet, which was largely unregulated at the time.

Tranda, who was hotel receptionist from Missouri, initially sold the twins to Vickie and Richard who paid £4,000 for them.

However, the arrangement quickly  fell through when Tranda, birth mother to the girls, was dissatisfied with her visiting rights and reclaimed her daughters.

The girls Kiara and Keyara Wecker, were then sold to Judith and her husband who  paid £8,200. They hoped to bring the twins to their farm in Wales.

Unhappy with the new arrangement, their former US adoptive parents, Richard and Vickie, fought to bring the twins back to America to regain custody. 

Once the press caught wind of the case, all hell broke loose and both children were taken from their new adoptive parents in Wales and put into foster care.

The FBI became involved, with the subsequent international legal battle ending with the children being raised by a third set of foster parents in Missouri. 

At the time, national feelings were potent that one tabloid headline asked ‘Is This The Most Hated Woman In Britain?’ 

 Following the dramatic case, UK law was changed and the Prime Minister at the time, Tony Blair and Home Secretary Jack Straw spoke out over the horror of the situation.

As a result of the case, Tony Blair vowed the halt the trading of children for adoption.

Explaining why she chose to adopt overseas, Judith told Lorraine that she had worried that she would struggle because the UK restrictions were too strong

Explaining why she chose to adopt overseas, Judith told Lorraine that she had worried that she would struggle because the UK restrictions were too strong

Judith Kilshaw and her husband Alan sparked an international storm in December 2000 when they paid £8,200 to adopt babies Kiara and Keyara

Judith Kilshaw and her husband Alan sparked an international storm in December 2000 when they paid £8,200 to adopt babies Kiara and Keyara

The trouble and publicity began when it emerged that another couple, Richard and Vickie Allen, had already bought the babies for £4,000

The trouble and publicity began when it emerged that another couple, Richard and Vickie Allen, had already bought the babies for £4,000

It emerged in 2018 that the girls, then 18, had just started university and were both studying social sciences

It emerged in 2018 that the girls, then 18, had just started university and were both studying social sciences

Explaining why she chose to adopt overseas, Judith told Lorraine that she had worried that she would struggle because the UK restrictions were too strong.

‘I thought at the time there was cases where people wanted to adopt but were told they were too fat or too old or too thin. It was rigid.’

She said she wrote to an MP to ask about legalities. ‘A professor told me to do it because he knew a private facilitator and she’d bought about 800 children to the UK for adoptions.

‘I thought if was already above board and happening, lets go for it.’

Despite already having two biological sons, Judith insisted her intentions to adopt were good. 

‘I thought we had a nice big farm, plenty of animals, comfortable off. If we can help someone that’s really suffering. I wanted someone from the backstreet shambles that nobody else wanted, forgotten child.

‘I thought if we could give them a home with lots of opportunity, I wanted to do it.’

The situation didn’t go as planned and Judith and her husband became known globally as one of most notorious and morally dubious couples.

Discussing the mass coverage of the case in the media, Judith said the whirlwind that followed felt like being ‘locked in’ after reporters swarmed her home, calling her the most ‘hated woman’.

She said she wasn’t sure whether she regretted her actions. 

‘I don’t really know because some good has come out of it, maybe it’s highlighted that this was going on and people were adopting from abroad.

‘It may have done some good, I don’t know.’ 

Judith insisted she still believes she could have given the girls a good life. 

‘If things had all been equal, we’d have stayed in the farm, they’d have plenty of pets, they’d have had ponies, they’d have gone to school, hopefully university and I’d have hoped they’d have grown up to be good strong women.’

‘They probably have grown up to be good strong women in fairness to their parents in America’.

Judith hasn’t had contact with either children since they were taken from her almost a quarter of a decade ago, though admitted she would always be open to ‘answer any questions’.

‘I wouldn’t push myself on them and if they wanted to contact me, I’m there for them’

‘A phone call would be nice just to say we’re okay.’

She doesn’t ‘really’ regret what happened. ‘You can’t pick and choose life and perhaps this was my fate,’

Judith explained she agreed to take part in the documentary because it was sensitively led by all-women. 

‘It was a sensitive story and needed a sensitive approach’ she told Lorraine.

The story was previously re-told in Amazon Prime documentary Three Mothers, two Babies and a Scandal, which was shown in Amazon Prime in 2022.

The Baby Scandal That Shocked The World is on tonight and 9pm on Channel 5