Freedom of expression in Barnevern cases
Speech at the demonstration outside the Norwegian parliament on 16 April 2016 by Marianne H. Skanland

Freedom of speech is important and positive. This is an opinion shared by most of us. Why?

It cannot be because it’s always nice to hear people’s honest opinion. It isn’t nice, because it is so often critical.

So again: Why do we think it is important?

Well, let us hear what the European Court of Human Rights has to say about freedom of expression (‘expression’ comprises both speech and writing). In a judgment from 1976, the Court says clearly that free expression is one of –

“…. the principles characterising a ‘democratic society’. Freedom of expression constitutes one of the essential foundations of such a society, one of the basic conditions for its progress and for the development of every man.”

So freedom of expression is important because it is necessary. It is necessary for people in a democratic society to speak clearly about how things are, if they are going to be able to change them. It is necessary in order to bring out in the open everything which is wrong and harmful in our society, so that it can be put right. It is necessary in order to stop abuse and tyranny and exploitation of people. As long as only the abusers, the tyrants and the exploiters know about it, and their victims are not given protection if they speak out, it will all continue.

Barnevernet, and the Norwegian state, do not like this.

They do their utmost to stop people from speaking and writing about the way Barnevernet tears apart their family, and the way they themselves are struggling to be reunited and left in peace by Barnevernet. Parents who speak out, are punished by being cut off even further from their children. Our authorities say that this is not punishment, and that it is done to protect the children.

Shall we believe that children are protected by not hearing that their parents love them and are doing their utmost to get them home?

But our courts, too, our judges and the lawyers engaged by the municipalities to go against the families – they believe this nonsense, and they use it as an argument to stop the children from going home, stop their parents from getting them home.

Norway is in a bad way.

Human rights are individual rights, the rights of each unique person.

The major danger to a single person or a small flock is always the organisation called the state, because the state has power over us. This is necessary, because otherwise we would have anarchy, not democracy, (and anarchy is no viable alternative). But anybody with power has to be watched, and be stopped if they abuse their power. And this is not possible without the right to bring it out into the open, by free speech.

Norway prides itself on being a democracy, and Norwegian politicians and other leaders travel around the world preaching human rights to others. When it comes in the form of criticism against them, though, the Norwegian state does not like free speech any more. They try to make it impossible, even criminal, to show others how Barnevernet acts.

There are many many examples of this, including downright attempts to forbid people to put out on the internet videos of their own children and how a dozen Barnevern and police come into their homes and carry away the screaming, frightened kids. The mayor of a country district wants a ban on showing Barnevernet in action, because, she says, it hinders Barnevernet and the police in their work.

Some social work, which cannot be shown.

The Court of Human Rights also makes it clear, in several of its judgments, that not only do we have a right to speak, people also have a right to receive information.

Normally this strenghtens the right of the press to print and publish. But since our mainstream media have for decades not wanted to bring unsavoury truths about Barnevernet to people, I think people have the right to receive it from us! We who write on the internet and demonstrate in the streets, like we do here.

Let’s continue, then! Until we have seen the last of the present, fictitious protector of children and we get a real one established.

So our authorities do not want us to speak or listen about hard facts of Barnevernet. They even shun information themselves!

When people try to talk turkey about substantial facts, they say, “We cannot go into individual Barnevern cases.”

Can they not?

All this week there has been news about the Panama Papers, apparently indicating some economic skulduggery, and some managers of our big banks have said they didn’t know anything about who did what in Luxembourg or the Seychelles.

What happens then? Economic and legal experts turn up on tv and say: The boss cannot excuse himself for not knowing what his subordinates are doing. It is his responsibility to know!

So can the politicians and the administration in the municipalities, and those higher up in government, say, “We have delegated everything to Barnevernet and what they do is nothing to do with us. We have decided that we cannot look into it.” ?

No, they can not.

Our chief justice way back, Emil Stang Jr., once said (I think it was about 60-70 years ago) that unjustifiable laws cannot be maintained in the long run. In the Barnevern sector, there is a whole lot of laws and rules waiting to be toppled! We must get it out the way the Court of Human Rights says: We must vigorously practice free speech, a basic condition for the progress of society and each one of us.

Thank you.

source: M.H. Skanland website

Dagbladet reported the ratification of the 1996 Hague Convention to deal with disputed child welfare cases.

Many on social media lauded the move as a  positive development, but Delight in Truth had reservations about the intentions of this action. Dagbladet actually writes that the move was done “to calm tempers.” In other words, politicians do what they do best. Talk.

I am not sure if this ratification will help disputed cases that are currently in the system. The article states that involuntary foster placements (“care orders”) are excluded from the convention. Therefore, cases like the Bodnariu, Nan, and Michalakova would not fall under the protection of the Convention because the children were removed on Barnevernet order or court order and involuntarily placed in foster care.

This is the interpretation given by Dagbladet. If indeed this is the case, Norway is stalling. Norway is not interested in real reform to deal with disputed international CPS cases.

Norway does not have a systematic plan to resolve international involuntary foster care cases, and seems to be unwilling to form one. Their default is to let the cases drag on and on for years.

I have spoken to social workers in the US, and while our system can be vicious in many respects, the explicit goal in the US foster system is always reunification with the family as soon as conditions permit. Not so in Norway. Once the family has been targeted, reunification seems to be Barnevernet’s last resort.

Here’s an interesting statement made by Minister Horne: “The child’s attachment to the state should be given particular emphasis…” talking about the decision to move the child abroad with family. Just ponder that for a minute… “Attachment to the state” over family. It will be interesting to see what Delight in Truth visitors think about this.

Norway should have resolved the Bodnariu case months ago.  The continued confiscation of these children continues to aim the international spotlight on Norway. Everyday more and more people find out about it.

It is hard to believe that Norway continues to let this drag on. To their shame.

DESPERATE PARENT – He had his children investigated at school. For the sake of their safety he IMMEDIATELY took them back to Romania before Barnevernet could confiscate them.

When faced with the trouble they caused, a Municipal  official spoke to nrk.no and said this was a “routine” interview by a nurse and that the Dugeniuc family had nothing to fear. Nevertheless, Andras Dugeniuc fled Norway to ensure his children will not be targeted. This video is available on the nrk.no site below, a Norwegian newspaper.

Translation of Andras Dugeniuc:

“[I did this] because of the interrogation that one of the younger children (age 9) was put through at school. After the interrogation, the kids panicked and knowing about the Bodnariu case from the internet they asked me: what will happen to us? The same as with the Bodnariu family? So, they panicked and said, dad, we will not go to school unless you come with us. I told them it is impossible to come with you because I have to go to work. That is when I decided I must take my wife and kids back to the old country.”

Delight in Truth has received multiple private messages on Facebook from different persons who were targeted by Barnevernet without having done anything wrong. Some were harassed because they spoke out against the CPS on their social media accounts, others were targeted because they are a single parent, while others had their children removed for the simple fact that they themselves were raised in Barnevernet part of their life. Some of these people had their children removed temporarily, while others have yet to receive their children back.

After Barnevernet starts to investigate them, these critics go silent because they have young children they must protect or recuperate. A pastor in Norway was frank about the reason he would not participate in the anti-CPS demonstration when he said he must fly under the CPS radar because has a young son at home.

I can attest that what Steven Bennett writes below is true:

“Norwegian authorities are now implementing intimidation tactics on its own population. For instance, if you are someone who supports the reunification of the Bodnariu family and the 1000’s of other innocent children unfairly taken from their parents in Norway, and you publicise this on blogs or Facebook, for example, you are then categorised as an activist and put on a ‘watch list.’

Once you are classified as an activist, and you have children under 18 years of age, investigations into the family and interviews with your children (in some cases, your children will be taken away without notice for a few hours of interrogation) are sadly not uncommon at the moment. It’s pretty terrifying.

To make matters worse, if someone does criticise Norway’s CPS, the blinded and brainwashed majority of the population will think there’s probably something wrong with that person – their conditioning has led them to believe that – they think that those that criticise barnevernet, must have something to hide. It’s an illusion, but many people in the attempt to support their beliefs will find something wrong with a particular person and then go no further, that’s enough, so they switch off the brain, and there’s no more thinking to do.”

Margaret Hennum writes: “I joined the demonstration in Stryn the 16th of April, and we were told by Tor Åge Berlid, who organized the demonstration, that people had told him that they did not dare to take part because of threats from barnevernet.

George Alexander wrote in a post that the Bodnariu case was the proverbial “straw that broke the camel’s back.” He is right with respect to the international opinion about Norway. But we still have ways to go in order to reach a critical mass of Norwegians before this system is overhauled.

When will this happen? Hard to say. However, we can say that international AND domestic pressure continue to rise against Norway every day. Social media (and now some mainstream media as well) has been instrumental in growing this movement.

I would hate to be in the shoes of Barnevernet bosses Horne and Terning right now.

photo: Solveig Horne from vg.no

Pastor, attorney, and Delight in Truth friend Leonard Semenea had a crystal clear message on April 16th, 2016 in Seattle, WA.

COMPLAINT AND PRAYER FOR RELIEF STATEMENT

We, the concerned citizens and residents of Seattle, Washington as well as many other communities throughout the world, have peacefully gathered on April 16, 2016, at the West Lake Center for two main reasons. First, to raise awareness of the abuse of power that Norway’s child protective service agency called Barnevernet continues to exercise. Second, to issue a prayer of relief addressed directly to the more than 5 million good people of the Kingdom of Norway, his majesty Harald V King of Norway, Ema Solberg PM of Norway, the parliament of Norway, the Judiciary branch of the Kingdom of Norway, the individuals that are holding many children captive (against their will), and to Barnevernet, Norway’s CPS agency.

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Dear good people of Norway and Barnevernet:

We are deeply grieved by the abuse and complete disregard for basic human decency that has been exhibited by Norway’s Barnevernet. Let me tell you the story of what happened to the seven members of the Bodnariu family.

On November 16, 2015, assigned agents working for Barnevernet took 9 y.o Eliana Bodnariu and her 7 y.o. sister Naomi Bodnariu from school, against their will, and have still not allowed them to return home to their parents. In the United States of America and other civilized countries of the world, when someone is taken and held against her will that is called “kidnapping.” In the US and most other civilized countries of the world, kidnapping is a crime.

Later that same day, agents working for Barnevernet, invaded the privacy of the Bodnariu family and seized 5 y.o Mathew, and 2 y.o John, against their will, from the sacred and safe place we all call home.

Dear friends, if that is not enough to send shivers down one’s spine, the very next day, more agents working for Barnevernet once again invaded the privacy of the Bodnariu family and, instead of returning the children to their biological and God given parents, Barnevernet snatched all that remained of Ruth and Marius Bodnariu’s children when Barnevernet took 4 month old Ezekiel from his mother’s bosom.

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Dear good people of Norway and Barnevernet:

The Bodnariu family has been deprived of the love, affection, and life of their 5 dear children without due process of law. Parents Ruth and Marius Bodnariu were left helpless to the tearing apart of their family and life by a clear abuse of governmental power. It appears clear that Barnevernet has recklessly and/or intentionally

1. Violated the most basic human rights – the right to liberty.

2. Deprived Ruth and Marius of the life of their 5 children.

3. Deprived Eliana 9yo, Naomi 7yo, Mathew 5yo, John 2yo and Ezekiel 4 mo. Old of the love, affection, care, and comfort of their two parents.

4. Deprived Eliana 9yo, Naomi 7yo, Mathew 5yo, John 2yo and Ezekiel 4 mo. Old of the love, affection, care, and comfort of each other – by separating the children.

5. Tore apart a healthy, loving, and highly esteemed family.

6. Traumatized the five healthy, innocent and unconditionally loved children of Ruth and Marius Bodnariu.

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How can we conclude that Barnevernet has done this great atrocity recklessly and/or

1. Without any proof, accusations were noted against Ruth and Marius Bodnariu.

2. Since November 2015, no witnesses have been brought forth to testify against Ruth and

3. None of Norway’s physicians, called upon by Barnevernet to examine Eliana 9yo, Naomi 7yo, Mathew 5yo, John 2yo and Ezekiel 4 mo could find any traces of abuse, trauma, neglect, or mistreatment.

4. None of Norway’s psychiatrists, psychologists or other therapists, called upon by Barnevernet to examine Eliana 9yo, Naomi 7yo, Mathew 5yo, John 2yo and Ezekiel 4 mo could find any evidence of psychological abuse, coercion, neglect or trauma.

5. To the contrary, Norway’s psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health professionals had nothing but the highest praise and positive feedback to Ruth and Marius Bodnariu for the exemplary loving way they had raised their children.

6. Multiple prayers for relief have been made from Ruth and Marius, Ruth and Marius’s Norwegian counsel and thousands of concerned human beings worldwide. We have repeatedly prayed that Barnevernet stop the continued abuse and return the 5 children to their home – yet our prayers have fallen on deaf ears.

7. Attorneys that practice law in Norway were appalled to find out that when Eliana 9yo, Naomi 7yo, Mathew 5yo, John 2yo and Ezekiel 4 mo were snatched from their parents against their will, Barnevernet, unlike any other agency of the civilized world, assumes such a taking of vulnerable children (without basis, reason, or due process of law) is a permanent and not a temporary measure.

8. Only recently, after the issuance of a court order, Barnevernet has released baby Ezekiel to Ruth and Marius. We are infinitely grateful that Barnevernet has complied with the court order and returned Ezekiel.

9. It is very difficult to understand how the most vulnerable of the 5 children, Ezekiel, was returned to Ruth and Marius, yet Eliana, Naomi, Mathew and John remain separated from their parents and each other.

10. The Bodnariu family is not the only family that has suffered such atrocities. Many families that reside in the Kingdom of Norway are suffering great distress and loss.

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Dear good people of Norway and Barnevernet, please remember and note:

1. The good people of Norway as well as the good people all over the world cannot, must not, and will not stand for such abuse.

2. The late Rev. Dr. MLK said “Injustice anywhere in a threat to justice everywhere.”

3. One cannot help wonder, which good Norwegian family in the great Kingdom ofNorway will Barnevernet target next?

4. Furthermore, for those that know history, one cannot help thinking about the rise of National Socialism in Germany. Many good German citizens were concerned about the human atrocities they saw on the horizon and witnessed. Yet, few good German citizens took a stand to speak out against Adolf Hitler’s abuses.

5. The German Rev. Martin Niemoller (1892-1984) was a prominent Protestant pastor who emerged as an outspoken public foe of Adolf Hitler and spent the last 7 years on Nazi rule in concentration camps. Niemoller’s quote rings true even today:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out –Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out –Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out –Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me.

6. Dear good people of the Kingdom of Norway and good people worldwide, we must take a stand, we must speak out.

7. Thomas Paine (1737-1809) political philosopher and patriot noted:

“A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.”

8. Barnevernet has become an abusive governmental agency, our prayer is that

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Barnevernet immediately cease and desist from performing such human atrocities.

1. Immediately return the remaining four children to Ruth and Marius, their biological and God given parents.

2. Allow for complete transparency of Barnevernet’s policies, procedures and practices for the taking of children.

3. Form an independent agency that can reassess all outstanding cases where Barnevernet has taken children from their parents.

4. Correct all other cases where Barnevernet has abused its power.

5. Change and amend your ways.

We all recognize that there is evil in this world. Government was instituted to curb such evil, not to cause and promote evil.

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Our prayer, however, is not only to the good citizens of Norway, the good citizens worldwide and to Barnevernet – we humbly address our prayer for relief to God. In our distress we cry

1. We pray that You, God, have mercy upon us and forgive us for all our sins, for any selfish or incorrect and selfish motives and grant us the grace discerning and then doing Your will in all aspects of our lives.

2. We pray that You, God, change the hearts of Barnevernet and those responsible for such abuses of power.

3. We ask that You, God, intervene miraculously for the safe and permanent return of the remaining four Bodnariu children.

4. We ask that You, God, intervene miraculously for the safe and permanent return of all children unjustly taken from the other families affected.

5. We ask that You, God, open the eyes of Barnevernet and bless them with the gift of repentance and help them hear and receive your Son and our Lord Jesus Christ as their

6. All of this we pray in the powerful name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Norway is being squeezed from multiple angles because of their aggressive Child Protective Services: international protests, international and domestic media, European Court of Human Rights, European Parliament, multiple foreign governments and now the Council of Europe. The following is the first paragraph from today’s Dagbladet, one of the most popular Norwegian newspapers quoting the Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner:

“Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner, Nils Muiznieks, was, according to The European Post , very critical in his statements when this week he answered questions from parliament member Valeriu Ghiletchi in Moldova about a Norwegian Barnevernet case where a Norwegian-Romanian family [Bodnariu] are deprived of their [five] children.

“Taking children from their parents is a major issue that requires the utmost care because we have to think: what is best for the child? Child’s best interests are almost always to be with their parents. Only in extreme and exceptional cases, where the child can come to serious harm because of parents’ behavior, should a child be temporarily taken away from their parents. We must intervene to support families so that they can remain together and kids can be with their families. Removing children from their parents, should be done only as a last resort and for a very short period,” said Muiznieks.”

When will the government of Norway, the king of Norway, common sense Norwegians, or anybody in Norway realize the disaster Barnevernet has created?

photo: zn.ua

The Bodnariu case is undeniably all over the international media. I have seen articles and news broadcasts from Europe, Asia, America and Australia. In this clip, Ruth Bodnariu’s sister Ingrid Elisabeth discusses the case on Norwegian TV. I remember a line from Norwegian lawyer Marius Reikeras a couple of months ago to the effect: “Naustdal will soon become Norway’s most well-known place abroad.”

So true.

source: Mihai Dragoman FB

Norway’s Youth and Equality Minister Solveig Horne has a few things to learn from Sylvi Listhaug, Norway’s Immigration Minister.

The Immigration Minister made news today when she put on a life suit and jumped in the Aegean Sea to experience a mock rescue attempt.

How sweet of her to identify with the migrants who actually attempt to cross the sea without life suits and many of whom drown.

Maybe other Ministers in Norway’s government should learn from Ms. Listhaug.

It might be the progressive thing to do for Solveig Horne, the Youth Minister in charge of Barnevernet to experience a few CPS missions first hand.

Delight in Truth would recommend the Minister to join a few emergency operations where Barnevernet shows up to unsuspecting immigrants’ (and native Norwegians’) homes in black, unmarked cars to confiscate children because of trivial matters. The Bodnariu case being the perfect example.

It would be nice to know that Ms. Horne actually sees first hand what her employees do when they confiscate children.

Ms. Horne should see the trauma these families suffer because of Barnevernet. She should see three-month-old Ezekiel Bodnariu ripped from his mom’s arms and placed in a black, unmarked car where he cries, and cries for hours because his mom is not there to comfort him. She should see her officers assault parents in the process of ripping their children away.

Will Ms. Horne follow Ms. Listhaug’s lead and go to the front lines to experience a child confiscation?

I doubt it. It might be too traumatizing for Ms. Horne.

Here is an example, if you have the stomach to watch it, Ms. Horne.

photo: independent.co.uk

Solveig Horne, the politician in charge of Barnevernet put out a press release today in response to the demonstrations held against her CPS on April 16th, 2016

In a Facebook post she wrote: “We take criticism towards child welfare seriously and give the Board of Health now the mission to go through a selection of issues in child welfare”

In the press release (here) she wrote that they will take a look at emergency care orders (like the action against the Bodnariu family) and will also review single cases.

I consider this a positive response, but not nearly positive enough. Until the culture within Barnevernet is changed, the culture of “shoot first-aim later,” no real change will occur.

This is also a positive development because it shows that the April 16th effort caused turmoil inside the Norwegian CPS. They are scrambling. They are stressed. They are in damage-control mode. They are under pressure to spread propaganda in the media.

Newspapers like Dagen are in full propaganda mode to criticize Bodnariu spokesman Cristian Ionescu, but in the process they look silly. Instead of addressing the concerns of the protesters, they attack the protesters.

Getting defensive is usually a sign of weakness and many times a sign of guilt. The Barnevern machine is showing signs of both.

The Bodnariu drama continues for now, and it will continue to damage the image of Norway abroad.

I hope Norway’s politicians and citizens realize this before it is too late.

It may already be too late.