11 December 2014


Czech family seriously damaged by Norwegian child protection service (CPS)


***
This thread will endeavour to give an English version of the thread in the section "International conflicts and damage to Norway's reputation". It will be updated as fast as time allows!
***


The case of Eva Michaláková's two children is developing fast. Both the Czech parliament, the prime minister and the foreign minister want the children returned to the Czech Republic. The case has gained top prominence in Czech media, it draws numerous comments, and there are derogatory cartoons of Norwegian CPS as a monster, etc.

This forum Redd Våre Barn has previously published Jan Simonsen's article about the case separately, and Arild Holta has found a Czech cartoon which he has placed in the same thread, after Jan's article. But more material will no doubt follow, so this thread will be a little collection of relevant stuff.

We can suitably start with a link to Jan's article:

Jan Simonsen:

Forum RVB, 28 November 2014

  

_________________
Hjemmeside http://www.mhskanland.net

   
11 December 2014


A Czech newspaper recently wrote that the Norwegian CPS has sent a mail to the children's mother, Eva, asking her to black out all pictures of the children used in Czech papers and in social media. This is of course not possible with already published pictures, and the CPS is ridiculed for this.

*

This initiative is typical of the CPS. They "consider" that child protection cases are so "sensitive" for the families and especially for the children. Such a claim implies that the parents have a lot to be ashamed of and that it is the parents' behaviour which is the major burden on the children.

The reality concerning this question is - as are so many aspects of child protection cases - the opposite of what the CPS says: The child protection agency's forcible removal of the children and their other brutal actions against families are what causes the children pain. It hurts no child to have it generally known that its parents are fighting for it and that the CPS are conducting a senseless war against the family. Quite the contrary.

  

_________________
Hjemmeside http://www.mhskanland.net

  
11 December 2014


Here is one of those public statements made by a Norwegian embassy when Norwegian child protection attacks citizens from another country, and the other country's population is incensed about it, demonstrates against it, demands that the children be returned to their parents.



The Royal Norwegian Embassy in the Czech Republic, 13 November 2014

The Royal Norwegian Embassy has noted that the case of the Michalak-children has raised attention in Czech public. The messages of the different statements received at the Embassy are forwarded to Norwegian authorities.

It is the Norwegian Child Welfare Services, a government agency, which is the authority responsible for the specific assessments and decisions made in any matter concerning children’s welfare which is brought to their attention. The Child Welfare Services are precluded from disclosing the details of and the reasons for their decision or on any other information relating to the case to the public and any person/ institution not party to the case. This is to protect the child from having personal and/or sensitive information made public. The Embassy therefore does not have access to any details about the case and is not entitled to receive any such information from the Norwegian Child Welfare Services. The Embassy is therefore not in a position to comment on the case.

With reference to particular claims which have been presented in Czech media recently, the Embassy would like to stress that the parents can freely comment on the case in the media. They do not in any way risk being prosecuted or punished for this in Norway. Parents have the right to file a complaint against the Child Welfare Services’ decision to the County Social Welfare Board and to appeal against the decision in court. All parents have the right to a public defender in cases of child welfare and protection. The parents are, however, free to turn down this offer should they prefer to do so.

Cases which concern the welfare of children are sensitive and serious both for the parents and children involved, as well as for the authorities. It is therefore important that opinions in these cases are based on correct and factual information. Since the Norwegian Child Welfare Services are legally obliged to maintain confidentiality to protect the child´s welfare and its personal data, it is not able to react to incorrect claims which may occur in media. Only individuals party to the case have this right, and this sometimes means that individual cases are not presented in the media with all relevant information.


Comments:

Again we encounter the propaganda about how sensitive it is, that is: there is more than a suggestion of the family having behaved in such a way that they ought to keep it hidden and be ashamed.

Oh yes, it is certainly a tragedy for the family and a great one, but what is "sensitive" is for it to become public knowledge in Czechia how the CPS and Norway are behaving.

This silly statement, then, is supposed to "explain" why Norwegian CPS and official Norway "cannot say anything" and at the same time sort of "explain" that Norwegian child protection is always right and that the courtcases dealing with child protection cases are so solid and everything is so humane!

A couple of weeks ago Norwegian tv showed an interview with a representative of the Norwegian embassy in Russia, in connection with the Russian children's ombudsman's criticism of Norway. This embassy-spokesman said that Norway had "explained" to the Russians how Norwegian child protection functioned, but that the Russians apparently "had not taken it in properly"! - As if Norway is the adult teaching self-evident sense to children, while the children continue to protest foolishly?

The statement of the Norwegian embassy in Czechia seems to be of exactly the same sort: Norway "explains", and the Czechs are then expected to cave in and understand how wonderful the Norwegian CPS is? Norway says in the above statement that what is reported about it in Czech circles is not "correct". That about Russian reporting too.

Rather, it is Norway's continuing propaganda praising our child "protection" which is not correct. Our population has a tendency to be very naïve regarding our own authorities, so here at home the authorities are used to being able to keep doing this without any marked protest. It is to be hoped that foreigners will not let themselves be bamboozled in the same way but will se that lies are lies, and will not give in.

The statement of the Norwegian embassy in Prague contains another typical lie, typical in what it does not say:
".. the Embassy would like to stress that the parents can freely comment on the case in the media. They do not in any way risk being prosecuted or punished for this in Norway."

No, they do not, but it is standard for the CPS to use statements from parents against them, and numerous parents and other relatives who have been subect to the sanctions tell us that the sanctions are devastating, for example:
• more infrequent meetings with the children,
• no meetings at all,
• meetings in which the parents are forbidden to talk with the children about wanting to get the children home, and in which the CPS break off the meetings if the parents tell the children that they love them and try to embrace them; meetings are also broken off if the children want to talk confidentially with the parents or if they cling to the parents,
• increased brainwashing of the children which the child protection agency's people and the foster people carry out, brainwashing consisting of the children being told that the parents do not care for them and do not do what is necessary to get them home,
• stepping up of the anger shown by the foster people and punishment carried out by them if the children try to get in touch with their family, e.g by ringing them,
• the CPS stepping up their action to have the "parental responsibility" taken away from the parents in court action; when they succeed, it means that the parents no longer have any right to get any information at all about the children and that the children can be forcibly adopted away.

So: no prosecution or punishment?

*

An example:
A quote from the thread starter in a debate (the author says in the thread that he/she speaks both Norwegian and English, and evidently is proficient in other languages also):

Nemo1024 in thread :
"I was following the Norwegian news outlets closely after the incident was reported on Russian media. Zero mention. The parents did say in the interview to the Russian channel that they were warned/threatened not to tell media or else they'll never see their child again."
bitcointalk.org, 28 October 2014

*

However:
   Although Norway regularly tries to frighten CPS-victims to make them shut up, by threatening sanctions, it is my experience – gained over many years – that publicity is by far the best thing.
   First of all: the CPS people are quite frightened themselves of having every detail of what they do, exposed. Publishing puts them on the defensive. The fasmily is more protected, not less, if they publish everything the CPS says and does. Hvis the CPS threatens sanctions, one must publicise these as well, in detail.
   Secondly, if one does not publish, the public knows nothing, and then one is quite without help, completely in the destructive power of the CPS and the courts. It is not at all true that the CPS or the courts will be ready, or more ready, to let the children return to the parents if the parents "obey" and do the CPS's bidding.
   Thirdly, making one's case known generally, will make the parents themselves feel less as if they are in isolation in a prison. Talking to others, especially to the contacts one gets from those who have experiences the same kind of cases or who try to help them, gives many parents a mental strength they did not have before they made their case known.
   Fourthly, it is important that CPS victims get together to try and influence the authorities and politicians in their own countries, to do something to stop the menace of the CPS in many countries.
   Fifthly, each victim should try to contribute to the pool of information that we need to become general knowledge, so that it can warn new victims. New victims can sometimes manage to get out of the country with their children, i.e emigrate, before the CPS has hooked the children.

  

_________________
Hjemmeside http://www.mhskanland.net

  
11 December 2014


Here is a thread from facebook. It is updated:


on facebook, started on 12 November (or earlier) 2014

An important piece of information in the thread:
"Mr. Bohuslav Sobotka, Czech Prime Minister said: "I consider the case of 'Norwegian Children' very serious." Mr. Miloš Zeman, Czech President, is also expected to get involved as well."

*

And here is another debate, with heaps of comments in English, although most of them show little insight:


OlejzMaku, 5 December 2014

  

_________________
Hjemmeside http://www.mhskanland.net

  
11 December 2014


The Czech parliament takes action

A very realistic and good statement has come from the Czech parliament. I have "stolen" a whole article from Jan Simonsens blog (with his permission).

Some of it, however, consists of . Simonsen had it translated for him by Czech friends. I am having to translate it back from his Norwegian version into English, and I apologise sincerely for any mistakes in meaning and content which may arise from this double translation. Still, I find the statement so important that this risk must be taken. (The best of all would be if the Czech parliament had issued an official English version, but I have no knowledge of any.)

***
Jan Simonsen (10 December 2014):

We have written previously about the Czech mother Eva Michaláková and her two children Denis and David, ( - English version: - ) by the Norwegian child protection agency, and how the mother has fought for her children to be let go, back to the safe environment with their mother and her parents in the Czech Republic. Yesterday, the Czech parliament passed a resolution to the country's government asking it to demand an explanation from Norwegian authorities.

The case of the mother who is only allowed to see her children twice a year, under the supervision of the CPS because she is forbidden to hug them or show positive feelings for the children, has cause strong reactions in Czechia, and has been taken up by a Czech parliamentary representative in the European Parliament's committee for human rights. It has also caused demonstrations against Norway by ordinary Czech citizens who find the treatment of the Czech family unacceptable.

After the passing of the resolution in parliament yesterday, the Czech prime minister Mr Bohuslav Sobotka promises to send a personal letter about the case to Erna Solberg (the Norwegian prime minister). The Czech president, Mr Miloš Zeman, said a few days ago that he is willing to take action personally if the children's mother wishes it.

Tomas Zdechovský, who obtained fifty signatures from EU politicians from various parites and countries in protest against Norway, now says that he is optimistic and believes the children will be back in Czechia in a few months. "I told the Norwegian ambassador to the EU that if the children were to remain in Norway, it will affect Czech-Norwegian relations negatively," he says to the Czech newspaper Echo24.

In the resolution passed yesterday by the Czech parliament, the government is asked to demand an answer from Norwegian authorities of why the Czech citizens Denis and David Michalak remain in foster homes with strangers who are Norwegian citizens although the original reason for placement of children in foster homes is no longer relevant. It concerned an allegation from an employee in a kindergarten that the father had fumbled with his hand externally on one of the boys' pyjamas. The mother is now divorced from the father.

The Czech politicians also want to know whether Norwegian authorities have discussed the possibility of asking Czech authorities for their cooperation to have Denis and David returned to the care of their Czech relatives, alternatively to a Czech foster home, why the siblings were split up, and why they remain divided, being placed in different foster families.

The Czech government is asked to make a maximal effort to get Denis and David Michalak back to Czechia if the Norwegian government gives no reasonable and credibly well-founded answers to these questions. In addition, the Czech parliament recommends that the president and the government of the Czech Republic should take an initiative to obtain an international agreement with Norway, determining the mutual obligation of the parties to inform each other about all administrative cases and court cases concerning the other party's citizens of minor age and make it possible for the parties to be involved in such cases.

*

At the same time, the Czech parliament passed a bill stating the principles which any decision to separate children from their parents should be based on, principles which differ strongly from the practice employed by Norwegian child protection units.

The Czech parliament states that it is a foundation for Czech and international family law, deriving from traditional principles for justice and morality, that:


"1. removing a child from its family and placing it in a foster home must be the absolutely most extreme measure in child protection and in guarding the child's interest. Hence, it can only be implemented in situations where another solution, which would make it possible for the child to remain in the family, is unthinkable. If removal is carried out, it must only be for an absolutely necessary period, and must be conducted in such a way that it does not make it impossible to reunite the child with its family;

2. in case it is demonstrably unavoidable that a child be removed from its family and the child cannot then live with one of its parents, it must preferably be placed in the home of che child's other relatives, or else with persons whom the child knows;

3. the placement for care in a foster home should not be considered as a long term placement as a substitute for adoption, and the parents whould have the right to as much visitation and communication as possible and to consult with the foster parents; a foster home is established instead of family, but is not to replace the family;

4. if siblings are taken away from their parents, they can only be separated from each other in extreme cases and only because of relationship issues between the siblings;

5. a child in foster homes should be brought up in such a way that it is in accord with its nationality and the culture of the country of the child's origin, including that a child has the right to receive instruction in its mother tongue, so that it can return to its country of origin in years to come;

6. reasons to take a child away from its family, to separate siblings, and to place a child in the care of other persons than its relatives must always be given and proved in detail, concretely and in such a way that they can be challenged."

*

The Czech parliament has given the prime minister a deadline of 15 February 2015 to inform parliament of measures which the government has taken or will take concerning the points of the bill.

Czech TV today carried (10 December) (23 minutes long), and Czech newspapers are still full of articles about the Norwegian child protection agency, which is portrayed as child kidnappers, such as in this illustration used in a Slovak newspaper writing about how little it takes for Norwegian CPS to take children away from their biological parents.

  

_________________
Hjemmeside http://www.mhskanland.net

  
11 December 2014


The Czech tv report linked to in Jan Simonsen's article above is well worth watching. (Damn that I do not understand it - the question is whether any of those who discuss, are defending Norway or whether they all agree, but it is anyway instructive, so hurry and click into it!) There is filming in parliament, the Norwegian embassy has got police protection at the entrance (otherwise furious Czechs would probably attack the embassy?). About 18 minutes into the program there are pictures both from (this thread is in Norwegian but there are umpti links to articles in English) and from . The only thing missing is , which sent a deputy foreign minister who fetched 4 children back from Sweden. But perhaps they do not believe what happens in Sweden is relevant regarding Norway, or perhaps they believe it is best to concentrate on how especially terrible Norway is?


9 pm:

I have been informed that neither of the two people taking part in the discussion together with the program host tried to defend Norway. But while the lady was very sensible and good in what she said, the gentleman - who apparently held some official position, either in the government or possibly in something like a children's ombudsman's office - was much weaker and less clear. Maybe he is waiting to see which way the wind blows.

_________________
Hjemmeside http://www.mhskanland.net

  
12 December 2014


As I said, there are lots of articles on Czech websites - difficult for us to locate, unfortunately. But here is one I should have entered in this thread earlier. It was discivered because it has a link to a version of Jan Simonsen's article which barnefjern.org har printed:

Soňa Svobodová:

28 November 2014

  

_________________
Hjemmeside http://www.mhskanland.net

    
12 December 2014


Czech articles about the case and about Norwegian child protection generally

I am taking the chance of linking to a few articles from Czech websites. I hope to be forgiven if any of them are in reality something quite different from what is relevant here, since I hardly understand more than about 1 word out of 150. But they seem to be about Norwegian child protection, and especially about Eva Michaláková's case. I have found them by searching with a combination of three words:
     děti
     Norsku
     barnevern
"děti" certainly means "children", "Norsku" either "Norway" or "Norwegian", and "barnevern" is of course the famous Norwegian term for "child protection" (CPS). (It seems to have become quite an internationally (in)famous word and the reason is obvious - this little detail ought perhaps to make our authorities blush?)

A large number of articles came up in the search; I list only a few, but they give a tiny idea of the notice taken of Norwegian CPS in Czechia.

You will recognise some words and names in the articles. Google Translate into English is a good help also, I think, even if one cannot be sure of the exact meaning expressed. The articles leave an impression of Norwegian CPS being quite well-known in Czechia now. Eva Michaláková's name and "barnevern" occur many times.

*

Andrej Ruščák:

blog.idnes.cz, 11 March 2014

Recognisable words:
bekymringsmelding (report of concern)
fosterhjem (foster home)

--

Martin Fendrych:

nazory.aktualne.cz

Recognisable words:
Norská dětská "inkvizice" (the Norwegian child "inquisition" ?)

--

Jordanka Jirásková:

G.cz, 13 November 2014

Recognisable words:
fašistickou organizaci Barnevern (the fascist organisation Barnevernet ?)
bekymringsmelding (report of concern)
Fašistické praktiky Barnevernu (fascist practice in barnevernet ?)
Marius Reikerås (he is a Norwegian jurist who is active on behalf of CPS victims)
Per Kaald (Norwegian psychologist)

--

Komentáře:

Zvědavec 8 December 2014

Note: Contains a video in addition to text. The program is 28 minutes long, and starts off with the police taking screaming children by force. Many adults cry, probably mothers. The program appears to be Russian, at least many of the interviewed speak Russian, and there is texting in Czech. Many shots of streets in Oslo. A girl, perhaps 6-9 years old, tells what happened to her. A lady, Diana, talking. Russian children's ombudsman Pavel Astakhov talking. Statements from Elena and Galina. Picture of the boy Oskar. Roman Stepanov, Maja, the Fauske municipality hall, Teri Remberg (speaking English), the Russian children's ombudsman saying that the Norwegian CPS is a monter. We see a meeting of 20-40 people, who apparently are giving talks and discussing. Aleksandr talking, among other things about the Polish 'Rambo', Irina in the city of Tromsø, again Irina Berget, Galina.

Recognisable words:
fašistických praktikách BARNEVERNU (fascistic practice in barnevernet ?)
Evropském parlamentu (the European parliament)

--

Soňa Svobodová:

18 November 2014

Recognisable words:
mayharriet (She is May Harriet Seppola, a very active debater and writer who supports CPS victims)
rusko (Russian)
Pavel Astakhov (the Russian children's ombudsman)
Norsku a Finsku (Norge and Finland)
juvenilnímu teroru v Norsku (child terror in Norway)
Parlament EU (the European parliament)

--


9 December 2014

Note: Contains a short video, 2 minutes 7 seconds, a news item with filming from the Czech parliament. Michaela Marksová speaks, she has the title of "ministryně práce a sociálnich věci", which probably means something like minister of social affairs. The video is entitled "Vláda požádá Norsko o informace o odebraných chlapcích", in which we see "Norsko". Another lady, Jitka Chalánková, speaks: I believe I remember that she was the one being interviewed in the 25 minutes long program I mentioned previously in the thread (a link is provided there). Eva Michaláková speaks. A short glimpse features the president.

Recognisable words:
prezident Miloš Zeman (the Czech president)
Evropský soud pro lidská práva ve Štrasburku (the European Court of
                                                     Human Rights in Strasbourg ?)

  

_________________
Hjemmeside http://www.mhskanland.net

  
13 December 2014


Yesterday, Jan Simonsen went to meet a Czech EU parliament member (who works very intensely with this case) and his staff, and after the meeting to a 5 minutes long interview in a live tv program in the largest Czech tv channel. Also, a longer program is planned in a couple of days.


Parlamentní Listy.cz, 12.12.2014 (19:02)

There is reference to a press release from the media representative of the Czech EU politician, who relates that he has had a meeting in the Czech parliament with Norwegian politician and journalist Jan Simonsen, who promised him to work for the case:


Parlamentní Listy.cz, 12.12.2014 (23:05)

    

_________________
Hjemmeside http://www.mhskanland.net

  
13 December 2014


Some more newspaper publicity:



PRAGUE POST | The Voice of Prague, 13 December 2014

although the information here looks somewhat different from Jan Simonsen has told me.

Mentioned by
, 13 December 2014

 
In Czech about Simonsen's meeting and interview (I suppose we are getting better and better at Czech the more we stare at the texts, people?). These articles are being further referred to in a number of surveys of articles, surveys which are continuously updated. So the information is spreading quite well:


idnes.cz, 12 December 2014


České noviny.cz, 12 December 2014


Deník.cz, 12 December 2014 (?)


Pravednes.info, 12 December 2014
  
  

_________________
Hjemmeside http://www.mhskanland.net

  
14 December 2014


Here is a report on Jan Simonsen's blog:

(Criticised Norwegian CPS on Czech tv)
Frie Ytringer, Jan Simonsen's blog, 13 December 2014

*

He has linked to a video of the interview:

The video is 7 minutes long. A short introduction, then we see the studio, with an interviewer and Jan Simonsen. Simonsen speaks English, it is overlaid by simultaneous translation into Czech.

(Translation to be continued as time allows.)


Note: When one clicks into the file, then sometimes but not always a text appears in the middle of the page:
Nepodařilo se načíst link pro video. Zkusit znovu.
You should then click this text too!


Text introducing the video-program:
Kauza „norských“ dětí
Kauza „norských“ dětíDo případu tzv. norských dětí vstoupí i tuzemská vláda. Norskou stranu by měla požádat o oficiální vyjádření. Norská policie rodiče dětí prověřovala kvůli sexuálnímu zneužívání. Ačkoliv případ odložila, chlapci zůstávají u pěstounů. Jak rozdílný je přístup k dětem v Norsku a jinde v Evropě? Pozvání do studia přijal Jan Simonsen, bývalý norský politik a novinář.

  

_________________
Hjemmeside http://www.mhskanland.net

  
21 December 2014


One of the very few articles published in Norway about the case:
  
(In Czechia they say: "Don't go to Norway. They take your children there.")
Nettavisen, 21 December 2014

- I alle andre land er det mer åpenhet når staten tar vare på barn. I Norge er det en vegg. Her virker det som om staten eier barna. Det høres ut som kommunisme, og vi har hatt kommunisme før, sier den tsjekkiske journalisten Adela Knapova fra det tsjekkiske nyhetsmagasinet Reflex.
   Hun er i Norge for å dekke en barnevernssak som har fått internasjonale ringvirkninger.
(– In every other country there is more openness when the state takes care of children. In Norway there is a wall. It seems as if the state owns the children here. It sounds like communism, and we have had communism before, says Czech journalist Adela Knapova from the Czech news magazine Reflex.
   She is in Norway to report about a child protection case whose consequences are spreading internationally.)

*

Here is a line of reasoning which I think is both right and wrong:

"I Norge vil Knapova også snakke med politikere og andre for å forstå hvordan det norske barnevernet fungerer, og hvorfor det er så vanskelig for mor å få tilbake barna hun elsker." (In Norway Knapova will also speak to politicians and others to understand how Norwegian CPS functions, and why it is so difficult for the mother to get back the children she loves.)
  
It is correct that it is important to understand, but no understanding follows from listening to more and more about what the CPS does, without going into the foundations of why they do it.

  

_________________
Hjemmeside http://www.mhskanland.net

  
27 December 2014


Czech authorities are active:


Prague - The Foreign Ministry today passed a diplomatic note to the Norwegian embassy to support a Czech mother of two boys taken away from her by Norwegian authorities three years ago, Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek has confirmed to the server iDnes.cz .
Česke Noviny, 22 December 2014

*

One more debate thread where someone has noticed this case:

San Juan Wolf:

Naruto Forums, 22 December 2014

  

_________________
Hjemmeside http://www.mhskanland.net

  
31 December 2014



Two articles in English


One stems from a little earlier in this month, has interesting content and fine photos from a demonstration outside the Norwegian embassy and at a stand where people can sign a petition for mother and children:


The Prague Post, 10 December 2014

(It is possible to comment below the article.)

*

And here is a more recent one, from 18 December:


MyPrague Magazine, 18 December 2014

(It is possible to comment below the article.)
  
  

_________________
Hjemmeside http://www.mhskanland.net

  
1 January 2015


In the posting above which I entered on 11 December, called "The Czech parliament takes action", we take another look at point 5:

5. a child in foster homes should be brought up in such a way that it is in accord with its nationality and the culture of the country of the child's origin, including that a child has the right to receive instruction in its mother tongue, so that it can return to its country of origin in years to come;


In the light of this, Czech authorities engaged in Eva Michaláková's case should be very interested in the following case, and should obtain full information on it and if possible contact with the family concerned:

(Municipality in Lofoten served with a summons to pay a million: The CPS forbids the parents to speak their mother tongue with the children)
Advokaten til foreldrene mener dette er brudd på norsk lov og internasjonale konvensjoner. (The parents' lawyer holds this to be a violation of Norwegian law and international conventions.)

Here, then, we see another family from abroad, taking the Lofoten municipality of Flakstad to court for directly having forbidden and hindered the children from speaking with their parents in their own language, and for (no doubt deliberately) not having seen to it that the children keep up their mother tongue.

The people handling Michaláková's case should note that this family demands a million (Norwegian crowns) in compensation and another half million in amends, and that their lawyer claims that the CPS's setting aside of the language is a violation of human rights.

No matter how the Flakstad case goes, it is relevant for the Czech case and for most other CPS cases against foreign families, since the CPS acts in this way as routine. There is very little chance that this family wins through in Norwegian courts – we know very well how they are – but if not, they should absolutely pursue it internationally and at least equally importantly: they should try to get all possible publicity about the case.

  

_________________
Hjemmeside http://www.mhskanland.net