The fight against the Norwegian CPS continues. On Friday, Sept 23rd 2016 a symposium is being organized in Vienna to explore the human rights violations happening in Norway with respect to child protective services. Barnevernet victims, lawyers, and CPS experts have confirmed their attendance. This event will grow in the future into another world-wide protest. The fight is not over until Barnevernet is significantly reformed.
Save the Children‘ is an initiative of individual Christians in Vienna/Austria from different Churches and Christian organisations. We are deeply concerned about the violations of Human Rights and Children’s Rights in Norway. Since we’re familiar with several cases where Children were removed from their families for no good reasons, we now want to address these issues publicly.
Therefore, we’re hosting a Symposium in Vienna on Friday 23 Sept of 2016 with different speakers to expose the situation. We’re inviting both Norwegian Experts as well as affected parents to come to Vienna to join the Event.
It’s our goal to offer a public platform and support through media for those parents who lost their children for unjustified reasons. We also want to address the Norwegian Government to look into these cases and start a reform of the Norwegian Child Welfare System.
The Symposium will be an afternoon and evening event in English with German translation. We also want to broadcast the event live via Internet so that many people around the world can watch the Video stream on their Computers, Tablets or Smartphones. In addition to that ERF Medien Österreich will broadcast live at Radio „ERF Plus“. The Video recording of this event will also be made available on YouTube afterwards.
The Symposium is hosted by: „Initiative ‚Save the Childen‘ – Gegen Kinderrechtsverletzungen in Europa“
Delight in Truth 
There seems to be a lot of psycho individuals in Norway. Here is a recent unbelievable case in Bergen:
http://www.thelocal.no/20160909/norway-man-faces-child-porn-and-cow-sex-charges
Psychos are everywhere, Octavian. Are there none in your country?
If so, please tell us which it is and your country will perhaps be invaded..
For those of you who’s not familiar with the Bible, it is written in the Holy Scriptures: the sin will be great in the latter days..
(and that includes the whole world, not in one country in particular)
Reblogged this on Pastor Ciprian Barsan .
Several people who are opposed to the way child “protection” is carried out in Norway, are planning to go to the Vienna symposium. Jan Simonsen has been invited to give a speech, but it is uncertain whether he can fit it into his schedule. I hope he can go; he is usually very well formulated and has long experience of talking sense and people tend to listen to what he says.
Reblogged this on DREPTATE ÎN DRAGOSTE.
Reblogged this on Octavpelin's Weblog.
Por fin……esperaba algo asi….a ver si los noruegos tienen un poco de conciencia y devuelven los ninos robados….por lo menos el mundo entero se ha enterado de lo que esta pasando en este pais luterano tan….,,civilizado”
Unfortunately I already have something else to do on this Friday.
Hence I would like to contribute by a collection of important articles on internet — these ones are not on a single case but address some system-wide findings.
These are all in Norwegian. (I only know about an English translation for the first).
http://www.aftenposten.no/norge/Bekymringsmelding-om-barnevernet-37655b.html
http://www.tb.no/rettssaker/fylkeskommunen/barnevern/advokat-langer-ut-mot-barnevernet-sosionomer-med-tre-ars-utdannelse-kan-ikke-ha-rett-i-90-prosent-av-tilfellene/s/5-76-353127
http://www.dagsavisen.no/nyemeninger/er-det-grunn-til-%C3%A5-v%C3%A6re-bekymret-for-barnevernet-1.766944
http://toreblogginfo.blogspot.hu/2016/09/3-sept-2016-behov-for-lovendring-om.html
http://www.bladet.no/nyheter/2016/09/08/Knusende-dom-over-barnevernet-13299222.ece
in addition, pages with statistics at SSB and Bufdir:
http://www.ssb.no/barneverng/
http://www.ssb.no/en/barneverng/ (English)
https://www.bufdir.no/Statistikk_og_analyse/Barnevern/
One more: a report in Norwegian in PDF:
Click to access va-rapport_2016-19_bruken_av_private_i_barnevernet-_ansvar_pa_avveie.pdf
and one more: about a documentary in Norwegian and reactions:
https://www.nrk.no/nordland/filmskaper-i-hardt-vaer-1.11703899
This article is from 2014, though. I just found it a couple of days ago myself; for some reason it turned up in a google search I did for articles from “the last 24 hours”.
Kathrine Haugen is, however, quite well-known, and we have had postings about her project before:
http://forum.r-b-v.net/viewtopic.php?f=87&t=7893
She contacted me a year or two ago, she is quite well-informed about Barnevernet’s actions in several cases. She has been attempted silenced about Barnevernet by various people, including those who allocate money for film projects (financing films in Norway is not easy, all Norwegian film-makers seek grants).
Hello Marianne,
and thanks for your comments.
I have also found the article as a fresh hit on Google.
I would be far more interested on your comments on the Vista-Analyse report, however.
Sorry, I do not usually read such reports, they are endless and lead nowhere. I have to ration my time. This report seems to be re the use of private companies to supply Barnevern services versus the state doing it. That has been discussed and fought over by conservatives and socialists for decades. It makes no difference to essentials: Barnevern Norwegian style is carried out to children’s and families’ detriment regardless of who is doing it.
I think you might forget about numbers, percentages and figures for a bit, they are not always so important and do not lead automatically to particular conclusions. Deliberate policies leading to miscarriages of justice are the same whether they affect few or many. It is not important whether Norway takes many or few children from their parents, but the basis on which they do so and how they treat children in their power. The kind of figures that ARE important, concern e.g how Barnevern children’s later lives turn out, and there we have more than enough statistics: They are internationally the same: a disaster for a frightening number.
http://www.mhskanland.net/page120/page231/page231.html
How many children try to escape back to their families? Frighteningly many. What is done about them: They are captured by the police and carted back to their imprisonment.
As far as I understand the report it claims (at least in the summary at front) that there are far more measures and far heavier measures carried out in municipalities that outsource child welfare to private parties.
This is especially not surprising if those private parties are allowes to provide forensic expert opinions, they are interested in having as much children in foster care as possible as it provides the most of their income.
I think private parties providing foster care should be banned from providing forensic expert opinions supporting Barnevernet’s decision for their obvious bias, based on regulations of European Convention for Human Rights, especially right for a fair process at an impartial and independent tribunal. Allowing such companies to provide expert opinions is violation of human rights in itself.
Reblogged this on Wings of the Wind and commented:
Delight and I are two American Christians who are very concerned about human rights offenses in Europe and, in particular, in Norway. This wonderful event is only 10 days away. Much of the information is in this article that Delight shared. As we get closer to September 23rd, I will keep you updated on scheduling.
For many years I investigated complicated family cases in Norway and became very concerned that the children´s right to family life (as well as the parents´ and grandparents´ ) is just as violated there as in Sweden.
Lena Hellblom Sjögren, PhD, licensed psychologist
I know I should probably call you Doctor but I hope you are OK with Lena. If not, please let me know.
I have been aware for some time that the problem that has been the focus of Delight’s blog for quite awhile is probably as bad in Sweden. My source is a very good source.
First, thank you Doctor Lena for sharing your experience with us. As far as I know, it is another credible voice added to so many others. The evidence of wrong doing continues to build.
Second, I’m beginning to wonder if any of this would ever have made worldwide news if it hadn’t been for a very bad decision in Naustdal, Norway last November. If what I call “the Romanian Giant” hadn’t been awakened, would those of us outside of Europe still be in the dark?
Third, please correct me if I am wrong Dr. Lena, but it seems that many of these “errors” are being made because of faulty philosophies. Is that something you experienced or do you feel there is another main root to the problem?
Fourth, the problem appears so big and those of us outside of Europe who are able to spend any time on it at all are few in number comparatively, I think. We do have our own problems, only the CPS here (U.S.) doesn’t have the ability to do what it does in the Nordic countries in general (The media here seems much less tolerant of government intrusion into families).
So, some “outsiders” (at least this one) thinks it best to focus where the attention currently is. I know there are Europeans who would disagree with me. Anyone who has the strength and ability to fight on multiple fronts isn’t someone I would discourage.
So much for sharing strategy with the other side. To me it is more about philosophy than strategy. If the philosophy behind bad decisions can be exposed, maybe the entire system can be re-worked. How that happens, in the end, is going to have to come from within each country. We have seen how little influence international bodies (though very valiant and educational they are) have had on Norway’s Barnevernet. I do not want my country to give up its sovereignty so I wouldn’t suggest that Norway does. It is a double-edged sword.
Our world has changed greatly since WWII. Since then, our world has become much more connected in so many ways. It is also, in my opinion, much less Christian legally. I would suggest that this is the major reason for foundation problems of all kinds.
I’ve thrown too much on the table. I’ll try to step away from this mess by stating my theory. The only way for real change is for enough people to get involved for good in some way. I honestly don’t know how this can happen without the majority of the people doing something to help change bad things. The majority of the people must become vocal about abuses of all types or things will continue to deteriorate no matter where one lives. It is a simple theory made by no genius. Either the majority of the people start to do the right things or we will enter into a tragedy that Christians call the Tribulation (Matthew 24).
I will try to remember to pray for the Swedish as well as the Norwegian.
Oops. Somewhere along the line I got away from you Dr. Lena and started a soliloquy of sorts. Sorry about that.
“We have seen how little influence international bodies (though very valiant and educational they are) have had on Norway’s Barnevernet.”
I have made too many comments here and now I am commenting on one of my own comments. I wouldn’t blame Delight if he bounced me out’a here.
I have just read this article via Google translate, and it appears that the statement of mine above may be a bit premature:
http://forum.r-b-v.net/viewtopic.php?p=38032&sid=bce0ce540fcf9c5fa5a05ec6f3e989b6#p38032
When someone like Professor M. Skanland quotes someone like Jan Simonsen who thinks that international pressure may be making a difference, I’ve got to backup a bit. I was referring more to organized international bodies and I think Mr. Simonsen means any good outside influence. Whatever is meant, here is the statement:
“The international pressure against the Norwegian child welfare authorities are beginning to show results.”
I hope this is, indeed, the case.
I wonder if the main reason why barnevernet can act in such an evil way, is the fact that they look at their clients as “untermensch”.
I wonder too, Margaret.
I have seen statistics that are unacceptable. I have asked to see training manuals because I think they might give us a peek into the world of the Mother’s Homes. I have gotten no response. I would think an organization that helps would gladly let anyone see a training manual if its training methods were decent and professional. I am willing to buy one but I would need someone to translate it for me so that I can learn the training methods.
If you wonder about the Barnevernet, Margaret, and you live in Norway, imagine how those of us who hear things from far away are wondering. There is clearly something wrong in your country. There are clearly things that are wrong in my country. However, anything involving the mistreatment of children is something I am always interested in. An American mother had her child taken by the Barnevernet simply because his weight wasn’t perfect. The child’s weight was well within the normal range and the mother was breastfeeding the child.
I wonder about the American embassy in Norway. It gave no assistance to the American mother. How is that possible? Is the Barnevernet so powerful that the U.S. doesn’t want to ruffle feathers or is the U.S. embassy uninterested in helping Americans who have had their children stolen? It could be a combination of the two, sadly.
The more I learn the more questions I have. I guess that’s a curious teacher for you.
The American embassy is not the only embassy which does NOT help their citizens when they are attacked by Barnevernet. We have seen the same from several countries. Diplomats are there to work “smoothly” with the country in which they work, secure maximally good relations for their own country on an official level.
The Indian embassy in Oslo did nothing whatever to help the Bhattacharya family until the Indian prime minister sent special representatives to Oslo to give them orders to assist the family, to the extent that is possible. There is little an embassy can give in the way of efficient help, but at least it is a help for the family to have moral support and have the embassy alert and actively communicating back to their own country’s authorities. Compare the petition to the Indian National Human Rights Commission, which includes a proposal to instruct embassies, consulates and other missions abroad specifically what to do:
Petition:
“Humanitarian Crisis for Indian children and their families in confiscatory child care proceedings abroad”
Click to access nhrc-petition-121012.pdf
The circumstances are described here:
“Petition to the Indian National Human Rights Commission: Indians want their government to guard against western CPS”
http://forum.r-b-v.net/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=7106
*
The country that to my knowledge has spoken with the clearest voice here in Norway is actually Nigeria. Many Nigerian mothers are deprived of their children, cf
Bjorn Bjoro: A system that wears people down”
http://forum.r-b-v.net/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=7994
Thank you for linking me to some interesting information, Marianne. I found this in the Indian petition:
“We draw your attention in particular to the enclosed case study of the Norwegian care proceedings in
the Bhattacharya case, which reveals a shocking absence of any justification for the grave and life altering
step of permanent confiscation of the children from their parents and the violation of basic
human rights of both the parents and the children in that case.”
I looked around the internet for the purpose of any of the almost 300 American Embassies. Here is a part of one explanation:
“While the Consular officers provide immediate and personal assistance to American citizens every day around the world — replacing lost passports, assisting injured or ill travelers, and assisting with marriages, births, and adoptions, other sections of the embassy provide more specialized assistance.”
http://diplomacy.state.gov/discoverdiplomacy/diplomacy101/places/170600.htm
I would think helping return stolen children to their loving mothers would be more important than replacing lost passports. The American government doesn’t get a pass on this in my view and neither should any other government.
Thank you again, Marianne. Maybe governments who have embassies in countries that have CPS systems that act like the Barnevernet need some type of wake up call. People in my country like to use the word “freedom” a lot.
I notice you put the word “smoothly” in quotes. Does the American embassy in Norway sacrifice the human rights (freedom) of its citizens to maintain the status quo?
I know we both certainly hope not. It surprises me that India and Nigeria are better than the USA on this.
smoothly” : Well, diplomats at embassies are there to “diplome”, aren’t they? To assure friendly relations with the authorities in the country they are in and with the diplomats of other countries. One quite unusual diplomat was the then Polish ambassador’s wife who studied linguistics when I did. She said that such activity on her part was, if not frowned upon at least thought a bit undiplomatic. They all went to all the diplomatic community’s national celebrations / birthday parties etc.
I am very sure that the USA feels it has overridingly important questions to keep friendly with Norway about, such as Nato and our long coastline north and east to Russia, to want to spend time and create conflict about what the authorities in every Western country seem to feel is a finicky nursery-school issue, some nanny-like disagreement about the way children should be brought up …
Suranya Aiyar, as I have said, is a lawyer herself, educated in Britain and the USA, and she has been very active on behalf of some Indian families whose children have been in the clutches of American CPS. Suranya managed to make contact with some American lawyers who are very concerned about CPS abuses in the USA and worked like anything in order to have the Indian children released back to their extended families in India. Did you see this, Chris?:
Suranya Aiyar: “Family must come first”
http://forum.r-b-v.net/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=7747
Both as regards Nigeria and India I think ethical alertness and determined effort of a few individuals, best of all politically well placed individuals, is very important in deciding the attitude taken by a country. You should have seen, in a tv program, a really excellent, well-spoken and upright lady MP, from the Nigerian parliament, whom Nigeria sent to Scandinavia (their embassy for Scandinavia is in Sweden) to express their outrage about child protection here.
“There are fourteen pages of questions in this vein.” I had no idea, Marianne. I had noticed the mention of a case in New Jersey in another post of yours, or maybe it was in a comment and I was curious. I should have asked about it. I wonder if this is standard procedure in every state in the U.S? It really is something I should try and find out.
It is my opinion that annual income, level of education, and owning such amenities as air-conditioning have nothing to do with good parenting. Just because people in the West expect to have air-conditioning in their homes and schools doesn’t mean everyone in the world can. Many Americans who can’t afford air-conditioning are given free electric fans in the summer time by certain non-profits and even the government at times.
In fact, I was in an modern American gym with no air-conditioning on Friday. I was there with the entire school for a pep rally for a football game. It was loud and hot inside the gym and a few of the fourth grade students entrusted to me were complaining even though I had given them the opportunity to use the bathroom and get drinks before we went to the rally. Most were “troopers” and made it through the longer than anticipated event. There were large fans in the gym but it was hot outside so the fans were at most moving hot air around.
I had to make a comment about “whining” when we got back to the classroom where I let them go a few at a time to get drinks. Every student in the school was hot for heaven’s sake including me, and there were long lines at the drinking fountains.
Should the school get in trouble for “abuse” because it doesn’t have air-conditioning in its gym?
I wonder what will happen to Americans if the electricity goes off for an extended period of time?
I see how “ethical alertness and determined effort of a few individuals, best of all politically well placed individuals” can make a huge difference. There was a ridiculous case in my county last year and the combination of local media sources, Church leaders, and a few politicians insured that the correct course was taken. In that case, the children were away from their parents for a short time comparatively.
“I am very sure that the USA feels it has overridingly important questions to keep friendly with Norway about, such as Nato and our long coastline north and east to Russia, to want to spend time and create conflict about what the authorities in every Western country seem to feel is a finicky nursery-school issue, some nanny-like disagreement about the way children should be brought up …”
I think this is true and very unfortunate, Marianne.
Counting air-conditioning as an “amenity” is particularly ironic in my view, actually, since that is one of the things we were battling against in a little anti-noise organisation I worked with for a while. I consider it torture. The low noise of it prevents proper rest and may affect the blood pressure, and it prevents natural air circulation. It definitely is a trigger of my migraine. Air-conditioning is one of the reasons why I do not stay at up-to-date hotels and avoid many restaurants, and I wouldn’t dream of living in a private home pestered by it. My last years at university I revolted against some of the lecture rooms, and thank heavens I managed to get an office in an old building which had not yet been “improved” and it had a lovely, quiet lecture room where I could teach my students also.
That is ironic, Marianne.
Here are some interesting American statistics:
“As recently as 1993, only 68% of all occupied housing units had AC. The latest results from the 2009 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) show that 87 percent of U.S. households are now equipped with AC.”
https://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/reports/2009/air-conditioning.cfm
It seems strange that during a period where our National Debt has soared so has the use of AC.
I will say that Arkansas can be very hot and humid. I don’t have AC in either of the two cars I drive and I’m not dead yet. I do have it in my home and it is a nice break from the humidity.
I used to work in the Air Conditioning industry in California by the way. It paid better than teaching in private schools.
I almost forgot to mention this, Marianne. The quote from you to Jasper above was very interesting and somehow I had never read the information at the link you included. It is very educational. Thank you.
“I think you might forget about numbers, percentages and figures for a bit, they are not always so important and do not lead automatically to particular conclusions. Deliberate policies leading to miscarriages of justice are the same whether they affect few or many. It is not important whether Norway takes many or few children from their parents, but the basis on which they do so and how they treat children in their power. The kind of figures that ARE important, concern e.g how Barnevern children’s later lives turn out, and there we have more than enough statistics: They are internationally the same: a disaster for a frightening number.
http://www.mhskanland.net/page120/page231/page231.html
How many children try to escape back to their families? Frighteningly many. What is done about them: They are captured by the police and carted back to their imprisonment.”
Chris, I would like to respond.
I am pretty interested in the numbers as well but it is not l’art pour l’art.
I agree with Marianne even one abuse of authority is hurting the same level.
However, the numbers might be a strong indicator for something wrong on system-level. And actually as far as I understand, the actual numbers are indicating far more emergency orders and placements outside of home than other democracies.
It was also shocking to see the geographical differences. It suggests that there is something pretty wrong with the functioning of fylkesnemnda itself in certain counties.
I don’t say it is the only problem but seems to be a good starting point, to analyze further.
Chris, re air-conditioning and noise:
Yes, people are different, and most people can fairly flexibly adapt to many different environmental circumstances. But such adaptation often comes at a cost, and as regards noise it certainly does: Noise is a stressor and long term noise is detrimental to health, more for some of us than for others, of course.
As regards heat and humidity: Once upon a time I worked my way from New Zealand to Norway as a stewardess, on a freighter which also took 12 passengers. Going through the Panama canal was very warm, not to say hot. It was also very humid. No air-conditioning, thank heavens. Making beds and cleaning the cabins and shower-rooms etc was on the hot side. The humidity saved me. One just had to not mind sweating, and to drink a lot. And it wasn’t unpleasant. A couple of dips every day in the little pool they had rigged on deck, in addition to showering, was also nice. The canal was among the most interesting parts of the voyage.
Apparently I am different from most people, in that dry heat is what affects me negatively. The worst I can remember was in mainland Greece and on Crete in July/August, above 45 degrees Celsius.
(Several of my usual crazy misprints here. Perhaps Delight will be kind and remove the previous version of this posting, please! I have also added a clarifying sentence or two here.)
Jasper writes:
“It was also shocking to see the geographical differences. It suggests that there is something pretty wrong with the functioning of fylkesnemnda itself in certain counties.”
There is everything wrong with Fylkesnevndene (the County committees/boards) everywhere. You are on the wrong track when you believe that e.g. Oslo is all right. There are, and have all the time been, plenty of ghastly CPS cases in Oslo. Some of the areas that functionally are suburbs of Oslo, however, belong to other municipalities.
The great number of emergency removals is certainly known. Again, as with other aspects of CPS in Norway, it is not an unfortunate detail, and the reasons why Barnevernet do so many of them and it has increased are part and parcel of the system. Barnevernet has clear motives for doing it this way, and changes of legislation and implementation have made it increasingly easy for them.
There are great differences between different social workers, both among Barnevern leaders and among their subordinates. But this is not constant. The turn-over of personnel is great, and it often happens that one district which may have seemed relatively sane for a while, gets a couple of new employees who are more active. The same social worker can act pleasantly and sensibly towards one family and in the opposite way towards another, say if the social worker does not like the way the second mother is resentful of, or contradicts, the social worker’s criticism. So it is rather arbitrary. That is one of the difficult things to make victims and possible victims understand: Rational discussion with Barnevernet, sensible reasoning about your child being all right at home, etc, cannot guard against Barnevernet taking action. The very arbitrariness of it is among the greatest dangers.
The education and training of CPS workers is a very active trigger of unwarranted action, and very many parts of the legislation and the way the system is implemented back it up.
Essentially, numbers are available and well enough understood. The government publishes such information all the time. It makes no difference to practice and there are no important additional insights to be gained by investigating numbers any further. There might have been, but there aren’t. We are not at a starting point of analysing and understanding the system, and we do not need to analyse numbers any further to gain insight. I am sorry, but I am not going to respond any further to this question. I consider it a side-track, which takes time and attention away from where I think it more useful for me to go.
Marianne, I know that you do not need this kind of analysis.
However, international pressure can really built up further in a way that such analysis is repeated with the chance of a dialogue for the Norwegian Government.
Without repeating the analysis Norwegian Goverment could still keep silence in Norway and tell in the meanwhile that foreigners are jumping into conclustion too quick and there are some extreme cases but nothing wrong on system level.
With the report being prepared for Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe, this is a very very good time to discuss these topics with the Norwegian Goverment in publuc in the front of international media / web2.0
“Apparently I am different from most people, in that dry heat is what affects me negatively. The worst I can remember was in mainland Greece and on Crete in July/August, above 45 degrees Celsius.”
You may be different from some, Marianne. When I was moving to Arkansas from California, I ran into more than one elderly/retired person who was heading to Arizona from the more humid states to the east. One was moving because her doctor told her the dry heat of Arizona would be good for her health.
One of the worst days in my life was spent in the Mojave desert in California. I didn’t know Greece and Crete got that miserable but it was probably 45 C in the shade on that awful day I was in the desert.
As far as noise, we had a 30+ year old split system that had an outdoor unit that sounded like an airplane when it “took off.” Because it was so inefficient, we also had a “window shaker” in the kitchen. A few years back, we were able to replace it with something much more efficient. All one hears is a quiet indoor fan and the unit doing most of the work outside is also very quiet. The “window shaker” is gone. My son and I would make it without the AC, I’m pretty sure my wife would make it, I’m not so sure my daughter would make it. She has a disability that makes her highly sensitive to heat. You will find me wearing a sweatshirt inside most of the summertime.
“Apparently I am different from most people, in that dry heat is what affects me negatively. The worst I can remember was in mainland Greece and on Crete in July/August, above 45 degrees Celsius.”
Looking at it strictly by the numbers, you are definitely different than most Americans, Marianne.
Det som overrasker meg,mrs.Skånland, er at du som professor i språk
år etter år skriver FYLKESNEVDA. Eg skjønar det er i tråd med vår historieutvikling,men det kan og se ut som om du fortsatt vil ha dei goda,gamle tidane tilbake att?
Eg meinte NEVNDA,sidan du som lærar sikkert vil korrigere meg.
Hello Topsy,
even as a foreigner just using Google-translate I guess I understand the wordplay by professor Skanland on changing nemnda to nevndene.
Google translates nemnda to tribunal and nevndene to committee.
I guess the wordplay is an ironic critique to government propaganda telling that Fylkesnemnda was court-like — a message is clear even for me: it is not a tribunal, it is a mere committee…
I wonder if I got the full message of the wordplay or is there some meaning left for Norwegian speakers only…
Hello, I agree that it is best to focus where the attention currently is. As I have concluded there is the same system error in Norway as in Sweden. The same CPS employees, have the task to help families AND the power to take the children from the parents. I have written about this for many years (some articles can be found in English on my website http://www.avskildabarn.se /separated children). I´d like to come to the meeting in Vienna but do not know if it is a closed meeting – can someone help me?
I should have read the link I shared with you, Lena. Here is the contact information for the symposium:
FURTHER INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION:
http://www.erf.at/save-the-children/
TO OUR NORWEGIAN GUESTS: you don’t need to register here at Facebook if you don’t wish to. Please use this link to register in private: http://www.erf.at/registration/
Please note that the Symposium can host only 100 people. Therefore make your reservation as early as possible, best before Sept. 18th.
I don’t think it is a closed meeting, Lena. I don’t know if you have Facebook but one of the organizers is Bjorn. He can be found at this Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/bjoernthebear?fref=ts
As you have been involved in this issue, they would love to have you there. You can ask Bjorn any questions and he should be able to help you. You would have to “friend” him first and then maybe use private messaging. If you don’t have Facebook, I’m sure we could get you any information you want. Just leave a message here that you ‘don’t have Facebook’ and I’ll see what I can do. 🙂
I very much hope the well-known Czech Barnevern case of Eva Michaláková will be taken up in Vienna. It is an outrageous case.
The case is coming closer to where it will be possible to send it to the European Court of Human Rights. Here is an update. I have translated a couple of paragraphs. The original text is found in the link:
Jan Simonsen:
“Barnevernsak havner trolig i Strasbourg” (Child protection case will probably go to Strasbourg)
Frie Ytringer, Jan Simonsens blog, 17 September 2016
http://forum.r-b-v.net/viewtopic.php?p=38058#p38058
“More than 5 years have passed and the mother has not got her children back. They have adapted to their foster parents, Barnevernet claims. And when Eva Michaláková lost again in court earlier this year, the reason was said to be that she had told the media how she was treated by Barnevernet. Now the case is probably going to the human rights court.”
“The support group for the Czech mother has now issued a press statement saying that her Czech lawyer has formally appealed the judgment from June, in which the District Court deprived her of her parental rights to her two sons. If the appeal does not succeed, the support group writes that the case will more than likely end up in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Probably a Norwegian lawyer will be needed too, if so, one who has taken cases to Strasbourg previously. Not only has the mother been affected regarding matters covered in the Convention on Human Rights paragraph about “the right to family life” but equally by the paragraph which is to protect freedom of expression. It is serious when it is being used against the mother that she has informed newspapers and a tv company about the way Norwegian Barnevernet has treated her and her two sons.”
“The leader of the support committee, Jitka Chalánková, says that she will appeal to the Czech government to take the case up once again with the Norwegian prime minister and will insist that the contact between children and grandparents must be re-established. She says that is not impossible through the judgment in the District Court. The grandfather, who has been strongly engaged in the case, has been to Norway before, to make contact with his grandchildren, without success.”
As a reminder: a short summary of the verdict of the Norwegian Supreme Court by MEP Tomas Zdechovsky:
http://pr.euractiv.com/pr/case-eva-michalakova-absurd-norwegian-decision-143727
I hope that Strasbourg will say that the whole procedure was on the contrary of Human Rights. So that a Norwegian re-trial could be bound (as ECHR verdicts are binding for national courts in re-trial) to declare the whole procedure — including order for foster care — null and void and to order that the procedure to be repeated from scratch.
Here is an article about what’s happening in Norway’s child care institutions:
http://www.thelocal.no/20160913/norway-man-drugged-girl-for-sex-in-child-care-home
It’s outraged just 6 years in prison for rapping a girl. 😦
Interesting news (in Norwegian)
http://www.aftenbladet.no/nyheter/lokalt/Slik-skal-Glassjenta-saken-gjore-barnevernet-bedre-3997807.html
Excellent symposium! I watched it live on the internet.
Here is the video already:
“Save The Children – Stop Violating Children’s rights in Norway – Symposium LIVE”
(It actually starts at 33 minutes!)
Marianne, I thought it was excellent too. I was glad Nadia and Caspian were there. I also recommended to the organizers to do something more “public” in the future where we can can rally the churches to attend. During the Bodnariu protest there were more than 3000 who showed up in Vienna. These events will have more impact when we take to the streets.
Some more little videos from Vienna, from the hosts welcoming the guests, before the symposium starts:
Symposium “Save the Children” – welcome to arriving guests
How does it feel when your child is taken away?
Marius Reikeras: “It is a war against human rights crimes!”
The organisers have done a great job.
Here are a couple of interviews, from 14 and 15 September, introducing the sumposium. They are in German; the second one is texted in English.
Symposium “Save the Children”
Weihbischof Scharl begrüßt das Symposium
Let me bring a supplement to my link collection:
ECHR is investigating (or as far as I understand, has admitted) 7 child welfare cases:
http://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/storoffensiv-mot-norge-menneskerettsdomstolen-skal-granske-sju-norske-barnevernsaker/63609781
Interesting comment on proposal to change Child Welfare Act — many say it will weaken human rights:
https://www.regjeringen.no/no/aktuelt/forslag-til-ny-barnevernslov-overlevert-barneministeren/id2512893/
http://www.advokatsylte.no/barn/utvalg-foreslar-at-foreldres-ankemulighet-i-barnevernsaker-skal-bort
Every one nows: barnevarne ie a very good business in the 21st century.
I am sad because of the suffering of children and their parents.
In this country there are no families there is only fear.
No matter what you do, as you are bringing up children. they always have the right teeth right was on their side. From them is no help is only fear.
So far I see Norway is only interesting in strengthening children’s rights when it is strengthening Barnevernet. No interest in safeguarding children from abuse by Barnevernet at all.
That could mean child’s best interest mantra is only pretended and who cares about best interest of the child? We want to strengthen Barnevernet…
an interesting opinion in Dagbladet (in Norwegian) http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/regjeringen-er-barnefiendtlig/63946455
The reasoning in this article really goes in a different direction. The article touches briefly on Norway not wanting children to be able to complain to the UN. But the rest only deals with single refugee children who “disappear” from Norway, while the writer thinks that Norway should find them and hold them.
I have found yet another Norwegian blog, raising the crucial questions:
http://fokusbarnevernet.blogg.no
This is a good blog, Jasper. And Norway is a small place! – I know Jane-Mette, who manages the blog, quite well. She has taken part in many of the demonstrations in Oslo, she was a motor in making a separate demonstration in Vennesla (“down south”) on 16 April
http://forum.r-b-v.net/viewtopic.php?p=37236#p37236 ,
she has been active on information stands the Barnevern-protesters have had in Arendal on the south coast (in a special “Arendal week”), and she both writes and holds meetings for Barnevern victim.
Thanks to some blogs, I have found a Norwegian newspaper that I did not know before. Some interesting articles:
http://www.dt.no/meninger/barnevern/samfunn/har-vi-forlatt-det-biologiske-prinsipp/o/5-57-509596
http://www.dt.no/nyheter/drammen/nyheter/sjokkert-over-barnevernet/s/2-2.1748-1.8667206
You deserve thanks for your energy on behalf of the Barnevern victims, Jasper. DT is Drammens Tidende (the Drammen Times), based in Drammen, which is a city due west of Oslo. This lawyer Marie Sølverud, who has written one of the articles you link to, is good. The other one, Rune Selbo, I have not heard of before. He takes Barnevernet to task very well, I am just a bit hesitant every time a lawyer says – as he does – that he has had many Barnevern cases but NEVER experienced anything like in this case ….. Really?
and an interesting article by Einar Salvesen in Journal of Norwegian Psychological Association, Vol 50, Number 2 , 2013, pp 142-159:
http://www.psykologtidsskriftet.no/index.php?seks_id=314494&a=4 (in Norwegian, by Google translate you can get the point)
Interesting update on review of 100 cases — in Norwegian.
http://advokatsylte.no/artikkel/9/barnevernsaker/667/gransking-av-barnevernets-fremstillinger
I would be interested in comments from Norwegian readers.
Some blog post and news article which are very frightening:
http://advokatstueland.blogg.no/1498588998_seier_hos_advokatforeningen.html
http://idag.no/debattinnlegg/barnevernet-over-domstolene/19.26610
http://idag.no/debattinnlegg/barnevernet-er-norges-nye-hoyesterett/19.26600
These are frightening as they suggest that Norwegian Child Welfare is out of democratic and juridical control, even Norwegian Constiution does not apply to them, they are a state in the state, just like the secret police in the Eastern block in the 1950ies to 1980ies.
An interesting news article again in Norwegian:
http://www.sfm.no/grov-myndighetsmisbruk-barnevernet-al-kommune/
An interesting article in Polish… Google translate says for the most interesting part: “Polish authorities did not have any confirmation that the Norwegian side had come to a fair hearing. Nor did they receive full documentation from Norway […]” and ” The decision of the court shows that the unlawful actions of Norwegian officials harming Polish families can and should face a strong criminal reaction in Poland. Of particular importance is the rule of limited trust in the Norwegian law enforcement agencies, often reluctant to investigate the case of the Children’s Office, Barnevernet, explained the adj. Jerzy Kwaśniewski, representing the mother.”
http://niezalezna.pl/207009-dramat-polskiej-rodziny-w-oslo-sad-nie-ma-watpliwosci-bedzie-sledztwo-ws-naduzyc-urzednikow-barnevernetu
Another one in Norwegian, about forcing families into so called family centers.
https://www.aftenposten.no/norge/i/qnpMoE/Ogsa-barnevernsansatte-er-skeptiske-til-a-tvangsplassere-familier-pa-sentre-for-foreldre-og-barn
The leader of the labor union is pretty sceptical. Gro Hillestad Thune says likely violation of Article 5 of European Convention of Human Rights: right to liberty and security
And one more in Norwegian, about authorities blindly trusting private actors. https://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/grunnleggende-rettigheter-er-ikke-noe-vi-skal-behove-a-kvalifisere-oss-for/68876067
Sounds like Article 6 of ECHR about an independent and impartial tribunal is conpletely forgotten.
A more or less recent scandalous case with some fresh updates:
The start of the story:
http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/326414,Norwegian-woman-seeks-asylum-in-Poland-report
and
http://en.ordoiuris.pl/family-and-marriage/ordo-iuris-lawyers-applied-asylum-norwegian-citizen-and-her-8-month-old
Polish Office of Foreigners comes to the decision that sending the woman and her child back to Norway would probably lead to human rights violation:
https://naszdziennik.pl/polska/194547,silje-garmo-otrzyma-azyl.html
Einar Salvesen’s witness testimony:
https://christiancoalition.world/newsworthy/read2/salvesen-supports-polandnasylum-to-siljegarmo
Useful postings for me, Jasper. I am very much “behind” on my postings on the RVB forum, but will try to catch up. You are serving useful articles on a silver platter for me.