Rød blok kræver ny undersøgelse efter rod i adoptionssag

Red block requires new investigation for root in adoption case

The National Board of Appeal had to retrieve information from Danish adopted children, but gave up. TV 2 has found them in an orphanage in India, where they risk going to.

Letters from biological mothers, contact information on family members and mole-fed consent statements. It is just a sample of the many papers on Danish adoptive children that are scattered at the Indian children's home Shejar Chhaya.

It is the children's life, says the Social Democrats' social spokesperson, Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil.

Together with the rest of the red block and the Danish People's Party, she is shocked that the information has never found its way to Denmark. Especially because in 2014 a study was launched after the orphanage came under accusation of illegal child trafficking.

I think the minister must make himself available to investigate these things in depth. One cannot talk about completed cases as long as there are living children who have been exposed to an adoption situation that has not been in order, says Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil.

Thousands of children's stories

A total of 280 Danish children have been adopted from the discussed orphanage. Two of them are 21-year-old Ajo Korning and 17-year-old Manisha Midskov, who TV 2 follows in the documentary 'The Danish Children from India'.

They have long lived with a fear of being removed from their biological families on the wrong basis. Common to them is that they have virtually no knowledge of their background, and the orphanage has on several occasions given them different stories about how they came there.

- It makes me stand as a big question mark. My biggest dream is to meet my biological mother, Manisha Midskov says.

In the documentary, the girls and their adoptive mothers return to India to find out the truth. At the now closed children's home Shejar Chhaya, Manisha Midskov and her mother get access to an old archive, where information is flowing with information on Danish adopted children.

- It was heartbreaking for me to see how thousands of children's stories could just be thrown on the floor that way, says Manisha Midskov, who spent a whole day searching for documents with her name.

- I have been sitting with so many papers in my hands and knew that the person I am reading about is perhaps a person who wants so much to get it here, she says.

Adoption agency should examine itself

It is the first time that it emerges that the many information hides in the orphanage in India.

This in spite of the fact that the National Board of Appeal in 2014 had to investigate whether something had happened illegally in connection with the many Danish adoptions. This happened after numerous accusations of illegal child trafficking led to an immediate closure of the orphanage.

The National Board of Appeal failed to contact the orphanage or the Indian authorities themselves. Instead, they asked the Danish adoption agency AC Childcare, which they had the task of overseeing, to submit a number of the most important documents to the children.

The adoption agency did not have the documents and announced that they also could not obtain them because "the contact with the orphanage had been difficult. Without making more, the Ankestyrelsen closed the case. At the same time, they considered that" something had not happened illegally in the cases ".

Assessment gets criticism

It is an assessment that the Danish People's Party is now wondering about.

- The cases have not been fully disclosed. It is about finding out whether or not these children have to be adopted and that nothing has been done illegally. When you do not have the documents on it in Denmark, it is a big problem. And that is why it is clear that this must be ensured, says social spokesperson for the Danish People's Party Karin Nødgaard.

Ankestyrelsen has not wanted to put up an interview, but in an email to TV 2 they write:

- We believe we have done what we could based on the opportunities we had.

The Minister rejects liability

Like the rest of the red block, the Danish People's Party believes that it is the responsibility of the Minister of Children and Social Affairs, Mai Mercado, to investigate the possibility of getting the many information home.

But Mai Marcado refuses to assume full responsibility. She will instead take the matter up with the parties to find a solution to the case jointly.

- I am open to having a good discussion with the rapporteurs about this. I share the wish that we get to the bottom, and I actually share the wish that we will help these children to get the best possible knowledge in their own case, ”she says.

The meeting will take place in early April.

Fund has led to reunification

The finding of the information at the orphanage has resulted in one of the two girls who TV 2 follows, 21-year-old Ajo Korning, having found his biological family and getting the true story of why she came to orphanage.

A story that turns off the fear of illegal child trafficking, and according to Ajo's adoptive mother, Kirsten Korning, it has been crucial.

- The puzzle about her identity has simply fallen into place. Now she straightens her back and knows who she is. It's so wonderful to experience, says Kirsten

For Manisha Midskov, it was not possible to find information at the orphanage, which could bring her closer to her family or her story. Yet the wisdom of the many papers at the orphanage gives her hope.

- I still have the hope of one day meeting my biological mother. It's still my biggest dream. Because I know inside myself that I will not just be able to get over it and just let it go. I don't want to, she says.

Danish:

Rød blok kræver ny undersøgelse efter rod i adoptionssag

Ankestyrelsen skulle hente oplysninger på danske adoptivbørn, men gav op. TV 2 har fundet dem på et børnehjem i Indien, hvor de risikerer at gå til.

Breve fra biologiske mødre, kontaktoplysninger på familiemedlemmer og mølædte samtykkeerklæringer. Det er bare et udsnit af de mange papirer på danske adoptivbørn, der ligger spredt på det indiske børnehjem Shejar Chhaya.

Det er jo børns liv, lyder det fra Socialdemokratiets socialordfører, Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil.

Sammen med resten af rød blok og Dansk Folkeparti er hun rystet over, at oplysningerne aldrig har fundet vej til Danmark. Særligt fordi der i 2014 blev igangsat en undersøgelse, efter børnehjemmet kom under anklage for ulovlig børnehandel.

Jeg mener, ministeren skal stille sig til rådighed for at få undersøgt de her ting til bunds. Man kan ikke tale om afsluttede sager, så længe der er nulevende børn, som har været udsat for en adoptionssituation, der ikke har været i orden, siger Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil.

Tusinder af børns historier

I alt er 280 danske børn adopteret fra det omdiskuterede børnehjem. To af dem er 21-årige Ajo Korning og 17-årige Manisha Midskov, som TV 2 følger i dokumentaren 'De danske børn fra Indien'.

De har længe levet med en frygt for at være blevet fjernet fra deres biologiske familier på et forkert grundlag. Fælles for dem er, at de stort set ingen viden har om deres baggrund, og børnehjemmet har ad flere omgange givet dem forskellige historier om, hvordan de kom dertil.

- Det gør jo, at jeg står som et stort spørgsmålstegn. Min største drøm er bare at møde min biologiske mor, fortæller Manisha Midskov.

I dokumentaren tager pigerne sammen med deres adoptivmødre tilbage til Indien for at finde frem til sandheden. På det nu lukkede børnehjem Shejar Chhaya får Manisha Midskov og hendes mor adgang til et gammelt arkiv, hvor der flyder med oplysninger på blandt andet danske adoptivbørn.

- Det var hjerteskærende for mig at se, hvordan tusinder af børns historier bare kunne være smidt på gulvet på den måde, fortæller Manisha Midskov, der brugte en hel dag på at søge efter dokumenter med hendes navn på.

- Jeg har jo siddet med så mange papirer i mine hænder og vidst, at den person, jeg læser om, måske er en person, som ønsker så meget at få fat i det her, fortæller hun.

Adoptionsbureau skulle undersøge sig selv

Det er første gang, det kommer frem, at de mange oplysninger gemmer sig på børnehjemmet i Indien.

Det på trods af, at Ankestyrelsen i 2014 skulle undersøge, om der var sket noget ulovligt i forbindelse med de mange danske adoptioner. Det skete, efter en lang række anklager om ulovlig børnehandel førte til en øjeblikkelig lukning af børnehjemmet.

Ankestyrelsen undlod selv at tage kontakt til børnehjemmet eller de indiske myndigheder. I stedet bad de det danske adoptionsbureau AC Børnehjælp, som de havde til opgave at føre tilsyn med, om at fremsende en række af de vigtigste dokumenter på børnene.

Adoptionsbureauet havde ikke dokumenterne og meddelte, at de heller ikke kunne fremskaffe dem, fordi "kontakten til børnehjemmet havde været svær. Uden at foretage sig mere lukkede Ankestyrelsen sagen. Samtidig vurderede de, at ”der ikke umiddelbart var sket noget ulovligt i sagerne”.

Vurdering får kritik

Det er en vurdering, som Dansk Folkeparti nu undrer sig over.

- Sagerne har jo ikke været fuldt oplyst. Det drejer sig om at finde frem til, om der er givet accept til, at de her børn skal bortadopteres, og at der ikke er foregået noget ulovligt. Når man ikke har dokumenterne på det i Danmark, så er det et stort problem. Og derfor er det klart, at det skal man sikre, siger socialordfører for Dansk Folkeparti Karin Nødgaard.

Ankestyrelsen har ikke ønsket at stille op til interview, men i en mail til TV 2 skriver de:

- Vi mener, vi har gjort, hvad vi kunne ud fra de muligheder, vi havde.

Ministeren afviser ansvar

Ligesom resten af rød blok mener Dansk Folkeparti, at det er børne- og socialminister Mai Mercados ansvar at undersøge muligheden for at få de mange oplysninger hjem.

Men Mai Marcado afviser at påtage sig det fulde ansvar. Hun vil i stedet tage sagen op med partierne for at finde frem til en løsning på sagen i fællesskab.

- Jeg er åben over for at tage en god drøftelse med ordførerne omkring det her. Jeg deler ønsket om, at vi kommer til bunds, og jeg deler faktisk også ønsket om, at vi får hjulpet de her børn til at få størst mulig kendskab i egen sag, siger hun.

Mødet vil finde sted i starten af april.

Fund har ført til genforening

Fundet af oplysningerne på børnehjemmet har ført til, at den ene af de to piger, som TV 2 følger, nemlig 21-årige Ajo Korning, har fundet sin biologiske familie og fået den sande historie om, hvorfor hun kom på børnehjem.

En historie, der afblæser frygten for ulovlig børnehandel, og det har ifølge Ajos adoptivmor, Kirsten Korning, haft en afgørende betydning.

- Puslespillet omkring hendes identitet er simpelthen faldet på plads. Nu retter hun ryggen og ved, hvem hun er. Det er så skønt at opleve, siger Kirsten Korning.

For Manisha Midskov lykkedes det ikke at finde frem til oplysninger på børnehjemmet, som kunne bringe hende tættere på hendes familie eller sin historie. Alligevel giver visheden om de mange papirer på børnehjemmet hende håb.

- Jeg har stadig et håb om en dag at møde min biologiske mor. Det er stadig min største drøm. For jeg ved inde i mig selv, at der vil jeg ikke bare kunne komme over det, og bare lade det gå. Det vil jeg ikke, siger hun.