Baby bound for unknown parents

Washington - The US Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the adoptive parents of a three-year-old boy known as "Baby Richard," effectively ordering the child's return to the natural parents he has never met. The couple, identified only as John and Jane Doe, adopted the boy shortly after his birth, almost four years ago.

The Supreme Court last year refused to intervene in the case. The court's action may force the boy to go back to his natural parents, Otakar and Daniela Kirchner, who propose to introduce the boy gradually into their family. The battle has prompted an outcry over the rights of adoptive parents.