The city of New York has admitted that a total of 465 HIV-positive foster children took part in experimental AIDS drug trials between 1988 and 2001. At the time of the tests, all of the foster children were under the legal guidance of the city’s child welfare department. The city has been accused of using the children as human guinea pigs to test highly toxic drug cocktails. On Friday Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced an outside non-profit organization had been hired to investigate whether the drugs were administered properly. Two City Council members — Bill Perkins and Charles Barron — have called for an independent probe. Most of the foster children involved in the experiments were poor and black, ranging in age from infants to teenagers. Last year a BBC documentary revealed that some of the children were forced to take part in the experimental drug trials against their will.