Haekkerup stop controversial adoptions from Ethiopia

politiken.dk
5 April 2013

DENMARK 5TH APRIL 2013 KL. 14.46 UPDATED 5TH APRIL 2013 KL. 15.10

Haekkerup stop controversial adoptions from Ethiopia

DESPAIR. Mashos parents regret four years after the adoption bitterly that they gave their children away. Here they try unsuccessfully to get DanAdopt help to see the lack of reports on their children.

DanAdopt may no longer adopt children from the African country.

OF NIELS HOLST

Ministry of Social Affairs puts an end to adoptions company DanAdopt adoptions of children from Ethiopia.

It happens after that in the press in recent months has been put critical focus on adoptions from the African country.

"I have unfortunately no longer with the necessary confidence DanAdopt dissemination of adoptions from Ethiopia when the Appeals Board considers that there is doubt as to whether adoptions always done ethically and legally justifiable," said Karen Haekkerup in a statement.

"Therefore, I have decided to stop DanAdopt dissemination of children from Ethiopia," she says.

Children lacked food and medicine

early as the end of February forbade Social Affairs Karen Haekkerup (S) DanAdopt to adopt more children from the orphanage ENAT Alem eftter that it was documented that the children at the orphanage lacked including food and medicine.

ALSO READ Social puts halt to adoptions from Ethiopia home

But now we base the right to prohibit the organization to adopt children from Ethiopia. Karen Haekkerup has taken the decision following a recommendation of the Appeals Board.

EPA has examined two specific adoption process and concludes that "there is considerable doubt as to whether DanAdopt dissemination of adoptions conducted in an ethical and legally sound basis'.

Furthermore think Appeals Board that DanAdopt not informed the authorities enough about all important issues about the dissemination of adoptions from Ethiopia, the communication from the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Women were promised support

Four Ethiopian women have a meeting with the Danish Embassy told how the DanAdopt among other things had been promised help and financial support for their other children as compensation for lost adopt a little boy or girl.

Women are contrary to the promises from DanAdopt not received any information on how it subsequently went with the children they had given up for adoption to Denmark via DanAdopt.

ALSO READ Parents criticize DanAdopt for failure

Karen Haekkerup regret that it has come so far that she must pull the plug on adoptions from Ethiopia, also because there are many children who are waiting to have two parents in Denmark.

"But it is a necessary decision. For no one, neither the children, their biological parents or adoptive parents can live with the fact that there are doubts about how the child has been communicated to them, "said Haekkerup.

The decision concerns so far only Dan Adopts adoptions from Ethiopia, but DanAdopt have been asked to explain how they work with adoptions in all other countries.

ALSO READ Adoption system based on a colonial past

t