Russia believes the Norwegian social service acted outside the law when it removed all three daughters from their Russian mother Tatyana Bendikene.
According to the Kremlin’s children’s rights Ombudsman Pavel Astakhov, the Russian Ambassador to Norway is raising the matter with the Norwegian government, and Russia will extend legal aid to Mrs Bendikene when she takes her complaint about the removal to court in late May.
The social service acted on reports from two of the girls’ schoolmates and their school’s principal. They said they believed one of the three Russian girls had become a victim of domestic violence.
Russia pledges protection to children separated from parents in Norway
Russia will appeal the decision of Norwegian social workers to separate the Russian citizen Tatiana Bendikene and her Lithuanian husband Robertas Bendikas from their daughters: Evelina, 13, Emilia, 5, and Eliza, 3, Russia’s Children’s Rights Ombudsman Pavel Astakhov said. All three girls hold Russian citizenship.
The couple was stripped of their parental rights after one of the daughters` friends had said that the girls were physically abused at home. Social workers arrived at the family’s place and took the children away without even making an attempt to collect more evidence on the allegations. The girls were temporarily placed in an adoptive family, though the younger sisters do not speak Norwegian.
Tatiana Bendikene and Robertas Bendikas filed a complaint against social workers which should be considered by the regional commission on May 28. The head of the consular department of the Russian Embassy in Norway Artyom Barkov: “The fact that Russian diplomats have joined the investigation at the very start makes it more likely for the family to reunite soon. The embassy has hired a highly-qualified lawyer who will defend the couple’s parental rights. We have already had a meeting to discuss the defense strategy. Now we are facing the talks with social workers.”
In violation of the presumption of innocence principle, Tatiana and her husband were told to collect enough evidence by May 28 to prove that they were not physically abusing their children. Russia’s Children’s Rights Ombudsman Pavel Astakhov: “The parents were told that they would no longer see their children because of physical abuse allegations. We`ve been collecting evidence to prove that these allegations are ungrounded and that the children were not abused.”
This is by far not the first case when Russian citizens in Norway are separated from their children. Svetlana Tarannikova and Tatiana Bitkina also have been struggling to persuade the local social workers to allow them reunite with their children. More than 8,000 cases of children being removed from their families were reported in Norway in 2012 alone.
Norway: Russian Mother won’t be stripped of parental rights
The issue of stripping Tatyana Bendikene and her husband Robertas Bendikas of parental rights, or adoption of the three girls’ removed from their parents by Norwegian citizens is not being considered.
Russian diplomats are working to achieve a speedy return of the children home.
According to the head of the consular department of the Russian Embassy in Norway Artem Barkov, the decision to remove the children was based solely on unsubstantiated information about physical violence in the family, offered by one of the daughter’s friends. The girl said that the couple, and the grandmother frequently slapped and beat the youngsters.
Tatiana Bendikene and Robertas Bendikas filed a complaint against social workers which should be considered by the regional commission on May 28.
If the case goes to court, it is expected the meeting will be attended by Russian diplomats and, possibly, Russian President’s childrens’ rights Ombudsman Pavel Astakhov.
Voice of Russia, Vesti 24
It’s big business in Norway to «hunt» children and «sell» them in oter parts (fylker) of the country. To draw children out of foreign families is the easiest way to support this moneyflow from the goverment accounts trough the local otorotys into the pockets of police and oter public emploees.
I, my wife and for children was one year ago brought into jail on Kastrup AirPort by armed police. The children protection unit in Levanger braught our children to Bergen. We, the mother and father was thrown into the strevet of Copenhagen.