We Are Family Points to Another Case of Insensitive Removal of Child

Bratislava, May 30 (TASR) – The recent insensitive removal of young Marco from his grandmother’s care in line with a court ruling wasn’t an unusual case in Slovakia but a rather common one, said members of the We Are Family-Boris Kollar party at a news conference in Bratislava on Monday held jointly with representatives of NGO Children Belong to Their Parents.

The party and NGO pointed to the case of six-year-old Zoja, who was temporarily entrusted into the care of her father even though she was allegedly beaten and sexually abused by him. Following a first attempt to take her away from her mother last November, the girl collapsed, but she was subsequently put into her father’s care by the authorities this March, said Monika Onderkova of the NGO. A video showing the attempt to remove Zoja from her mother last November was screened at the press conference.

“Day by day it’s being shown that these aren’t rare cases but something that’s been happening for a long time,” stressed MP Peter Pcolinsky (We are Family), who called for systemic change under which the interests of the child would primarily be taken into consideration. “…that someone would finally ask children whether they want to stay with this or that parent,” he said.

Meanwhile, Onderkova called on Justice Minister Lucia Zitnanska (Most-Hid), Labour, Social Affairs and Family Minister Jan Richter (Smer-SD) and Interior Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) to examine Zoja’s case.