John Erik was kidnapped and adopted to Norway. Now he has heard 20 similar stories
John Erik Aarsheim is contacted by many who doubt his adoption history. The organization Adopted demands a full investigation of adoptions carried out in the 80s from Colombia.
- I have received around 20 inquiries from people who feel that they are in the same situation, says John Erik Aarsheim.
Before Christmas, Aarsheim discovered that he was kidnapped in the 80s before he was adopted in Norway. This month he got to meet the biological family after 32 years.
- But with the knowledge I gained after being in Colombia now, I am not surprised by the number of inquiries. This is a huge problem there, and it should just be missing that there are no more cases like mine in Norway, says Aarsheim.
In 2019, Dagsavisen wrote about another boy who was kidnapped and adopted to Norway in the 80s.
NRK is aware of another case with strong suspicions that a girl was kidnapped in Ecuador and adopted to Norway at this time.
Requires investigation
- Now both the Children, Family and Youth Directorate and the ministry must be willing to go through the cases from Colombia in the 80s and see if these have been illegal, says Marilyn Førsund, leader of the organization Adopterte.
She believes these should be offered scrutiny.
- I see the ethical issue, but these are adults who are able to say no to such an offer, she says.
Call in for a meeting
Andrea Johanna Bratt Mæhlum, chair of the board of the Adoption Forum, says that several similar cases may arise. Adoption forums have been contacted by many concerned families.
Adoption Forum has invited the Directorate for Children, Families and Youth and two other adoption mediators to a meeting after the story of Aarsheim became known.
- There may be similar cases where we see that adoptions carried out in the 70s and 80s may have been illegal. For example, there may be false birth certificates, passports and signatures, says Mæhlum.
She believes that there are not enough cases to make it relevant to offer investigations.
- It is an interesting issue. I know that separate commissions of inquiry have been set up in Sri Lanka and Chile. But I do not think this will happen in Norway. I think this applies to few adoptions, says Mæhlum.
Wants redress
Angelica Bråten, head of the organization UTAD Critical, says several of their members have found errors in their adoption papers. She calls for redress for adoptees who experience this.
- It is time for the authorities and the adoption associations to start looking at the possibility that we may have had illegal adoptions to Norway, says Angelica Bråten, head of the organization UTAD Critical.
REQUIRES OFFER: Angelica Bråten says several of their members do not feel taken care of by the Norwegian authorities when they discover errors in their papers.
PHOTO: CAROLINE BÆKKELUND HAUGE / NRK
She says that several of their members believe there are errors in their adoption papers, and calls for an offer for these.
- There are no remedies for adoptees in Norway if it turns out that the adoptions are based on illegalities, she says.
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