Senate Speaker talks to Norway ambassador on Bodnariu child protection case

Senate Speaker Calin Popescu-Tariceanu said that during a meeting he had on Monday at the Parliament with Norwegian ambassador to Romania Tove Bruvik Westberg, he was briefed on the situation of the Bodnariu family's children, as well as on the intention of the Oslo authorities to amend the legislation in this field. 

"I'll tell you briefly about my meeting with the ambassador of Norway in Bucharest. We have approached a series of bilateral interest topics, and obviously the situation of the Bodnariu family whose children were taken by the local protection authority could not be missed. Mrs. Ambassador assured me that the Norwegian legislation is integrating the international law regarding the child rights' protection, that this legislation is based on considerations of higher interest of child, which prevail to other provisions and that the authorities dealing with this case will treat according to the legislation, obviously. (...) She suggested that perhaps there is a perception of reporting, in Norway. The authorities enjoy the entire confidence of the citizens that they are professionals, that they observe the law when dealing with such cases," Popescu-Tariceanu told a news conference. 

The Senate Speaker reminded that there is a parliamentary delegation made of members of the Senate and of the Chamber of Deputies, which has taken off to Norway to get information on the Bodnariu case. 

"I needed the same - to get informed from the source, for clear, obvious reasons. The access to the file is only of the relevant bodies. No one can interfere, let's say some political forums or courts in such a procedure, which we should understand. There is a necessity of confidentiality in relation with the case, so that the long-term children's interests are not harmed (...). From the information I've got, there are some 53 thousand cases annually where the child protection authorities are notified with bad practices against children. This is not a singular case, the Norwegian ambassador explained to me," said the speaker. 

He said that he has also discussed with the ambassador about an eventual amendment of the legislation in this field, in particular a provision based on which the children could be hosted, and not adopted, by families outside Norway. 

The [Norwegian Child Protection Services (Barnevernet) has taken the five Bodnariu children away from their parents last November. Mr. Bodnariu, the father, is a Romanian citizen; his wife is Norwegian.