Mystery Blonde Girl Is Roma After All

DNA tests confirm Maria's mother is a Bulgarian Roma woman

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DNA tests confirmed Friday that the mystery blonde girl who was taken from a Roma couple caring for her in Greece is in fact of Roma descent, just not related to the family who raised her.

The 6- or 7-year old, named Maria, is the daughter of a Bulgarian Roma woman who gave the girl away because she was too poor to provide for her, the Associated Press reports. 

The discovery is a vindication to many Roma after the high-profile case provoked prejudiced allegations of child-snatching.

MORE: Roma Writer: Actually, Stealing Children Isn’t Our Favorite Pastime

The Roma couple found caring for Maria were charged with abducting a minor and falsifying documents. It is not yet clear whether those charges will be dropped.

Another blonde girl seized from a Roma family was returned to her parents earlier this week after DNA tests confirmed that she was their daughter.

[AP]