Canadian Court Hearing Postponed in Apex Abduction Case

RALEIGH, N.C. — A court hearing in Ottawa was postponed until Thursday for a Florida woman accused of kidnapping and taking to Canada twins she gave up at birth.

Allison Quets, 49, faces federal charges of international parental kidnapping in Ottawa after authorities found her there late Friday with 17-month-olds Holly and Tyler Needham, whose adoptive parents live in Apex.

Meanwhile, international attention in the case keeps building, driving a the debate on parental rights.

Various anti-adoption groups showed up at the Ottawa courthouse Tuesday to support Quets. They believe the kidnapping case needs to be tempered by understanding the complicated emotions involved with adoptions.

"What do you do when you reach the end of your rope and you've done everything that the legal system has asked you to do?" said Sheri Sexton of Origins Canada, an adoption support group. "At that point, do you just give up and do you walk away? Like, I said, I'm not condoning what she's done, but I certainly, as a mother, understand."

Quets' attorney, Jeff Schroeder, was quick to downplay the case Tuesday and the way it was treated by authorities.

"There was no Amber Alert. There was never a hint that this woman was in any way, shape or form anything but a nurturing, caring, loving mother," he said.

Schroeder would not say whether he will fight extradition at Thursday's court hearing, but did tell WRAL that he will appeal to get his client released on bond.

Meanwhile, the twins are back with their adoptive parents, Kevin and Denise Needham. They are not commenting about details of the case but did release a statement through their attorney early Tuesday evening.

"We returned home from Canada with Holly and Tyler on Sunday and have been able to celebrate a wonderful Christmas and New Year," they said.