More children are adopted under duress
A change in the law has contributed to more Danish children being forcibly adopted, writes Kristeligt Dagblad.
In 2022, the Danish Appeals Board released eight more children for forced adoption nationwide than the year before.
This is shown in an extract from the Danish Appeals Authority's case processing system according to Kristeligt Dagblad.
We see that there are recommendations for forced adoption, even if the parents of placed children comply with all agreements on contact and have good contact
BITTEN KJÆRSGAARD, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY
A total of 37 children were forcibly adopted in 2022 compared to 29 in 2021.
Family law lawyer Bitten Kjærsgaard tells Kristeligt Dagblad that she is worried about the development.
- We see that there are recommendations for forced adoption, even if the parents of placed children comply with all agreements on contact and have good contact, she tells the newspaper.
Both of their children were forcibly adopted - today they have made a decisive decision
According to Bitten Kjærsgaard, the number of forced adoptions has increased after a change in the law in 2015.
Before then, it had to be proven that parents were permanently unable to take care of their child. But after the change in the law, it has only had to be made probable that they will never be able to achieve the ability to be parents, which requires less, writes the newspaper.
Guldborgsund and Lolland municipalities nominate the most
Since 2015, the municipalities of Guldborgsund and Lolland are among those in Denmark that, according to Kristeligt Dagblad, have referred the most children for forced adoption - with 13 and 39 cases respectively.
According to the Children's Advocate, a forced adoption is when a child is adopted away to someone else without the parents consenting to it.
In June, the government, the Socialist People's Party, the Radical Liberal Party, Enhedslisten and the Conservative People's Party adopted the Children's Law, which will make it possible to adopt children before they are even born.
Couple gets new chance for contact with forcibly adopted son
The Children's Act should have entered into force on 1 January this year. It stems from Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's (S) New Year's speech in 2020. Here she talked about the government's goal of forcibly removing more children earlier.
However, due to the general election, the law was delayed, and the new government had to reintroduce the law. It enters into force on 1 January 2024.