Romanian MPs file with PACE motion for resolution on Bodnariu case

A motion for resolution on the topic "Ensuring balance between child's interest and need to keep families united," in which the case of the Bodnariu family is mentioned, initiated by the members of Romania's Parliament Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), was filed on the occasion of the first part of the PACE ordinary session (Strasbourg, January 25-29, 2016). 

According to a Senate release sent to AGERPRES on Saturday, the initiators of the demarche are Senators Ben-Oni Ardelean, Titus Corlatean, Viorel Badea and Deputies Florin Iordache, Attila Korodi, Daniel Fenechiu and Florin Paslaru. 

The motion was supported by 28 members of the Assembly, from 14 states, out of whom all delegation members of the Republic of Moldova. 

According to the Senate release, the motion for resolution mentions PACE's Resolution 2049 (2015) on social services in Europe: legislation and practice referring to the separation of children from their families in the Council of Europe member states, and to the relevant provisions referring to the relations between children and parents of the UN Convention on the rights of the child. 

"The motion for resolution underscores that the abusive and disproportional interpretation of the child's best interest principle can have as effect the unjustified separation of children from parents, mentioning in this respect the case of the Marius and Ruth Bodnariu couple, whose children were taken over by the Norwegian local service for child protection (Barnevernet)," the release reads. 

At the same time, the motion signatories draw the attention on the fact that "this administrative body (Barnevernet), based on some unproven violence accusations and the activity of which does not make the object of a democratic control, made the decision, by issuing a temporary placement order, of forcedly taking over the five children of the family, out of whom a three-month infant who was breastfed." 

"According to the PACE members who filed the motion, the separation of the children from the family represents a last resort measure and cannot be accepted taking into account that no intermediary measures were taken, such as: social investigation, counseling or mediation. Taking into account that in 2013 only, out of the about 53,000 cases that entered the attention of the Norwegian child protection services, in about 9,000 situations the children were separated from their families, which points to a system issue of the Norwegian social services in charge with child protection, the motion signatories require that the Assembly urgently examine this deficiency," the aforementioned release also reads. 

The motion for resolution will be sent to the PACE Bureau, which will decide on the actions it finds necessary, including that of notifying the relevant committees of the Assembly, for drawing up a report on this matter. AGERPRES