Czechs protest against Norwegian social service´s steps
Czechs protest against Norwegian social service´s steps
vydáno:
30.05.2015, 15:19
aktualizace:
30.05.2015 15:43
Prague/Brno - A total of around 300 people marched through Prague and Brno today in support of the families from whom the Norwegian social service took their children, mainly pointing to the case of Eva Michalakova whose two sons were placed in foster care in Norway.
foto
V Praze se 30. kv?tna konal pochod, jehož ú?astníci položili p?ed norské velvyslanectví r?že jako symbol údajné šikany d?tí ze strany sociálních ú?ad? v Norsku. ?TK Krumphanzl Michal
Similar demonstrations were held in in Oslo, Dublin, London, Stockholm and Vilnius.
In Prague, the demonstrators carried banners reading "Norway is stealing our children" and "The government is not our mother."
Outside the Norwegian embassy, they will lay roses as a symbol of bullying the children by social authorities.
Michalakova, who is to take part in a demonstration in Oslo, invited people to events with a video.
In Brno, some 30 people came to the seat of the Czech Office for International Legal Protection of Children (UMPOD).
"We aim at Norway changing its stance because the Michalaks are nothing but a little drop in the sea of lawlessness in the country," protest organiser Kamil Papezik told CTK.
Norway's Barnevern social office took the two boys, now 10 and 6.5 years old, from the Michalak family in May 2011 due to suspected sexual abuse and maltreatment in the family. The Norwegian police investigated the case, but they halted the investigation and no charges were brought.
Michalakova wants to get her children back, but she has not succeeded. Barnevern has proposed that Michalakova be stripped of their parental rights and that the younger boy be put up for adoption.
The UMPOD resists this since the Norway has reassured the Czech authorities that adoption is out of the question at a recent meeting.
The Czech Foreign Ministry previously addressed two verbal notes to Norway over the Michalak brothers. Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) turned to the Norwegian prime minister but received only a general reply.
Czech Labour and Social Affairs Minister Michaela Marksova (CSSD) said she will coordinate further steps.
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