| International Child Abduction to
Germany |
||
(one of Poland’s biggest daily news papers) http://www.rp.pl/temat/2.html The interview took place following the hearing of the petitions committee of the European Parliament in Brussels on 7th of June 2007. “We are allowed to demand, that the Jugendamt does not violate fundamental Human Rights”, said the president of the petition commission of the European Parliament, Mr Marcin Libicki.  Mr Marcin Libicki. Rzeczpospolita: The Petition commission of the European Parliament yesterday looked into the cases of polish parents in which German Authorities ( Jugendamt) prohibited them from speaking polish to their own children after their marriages to their German partners fell apart or where sole custody of their children was automatically given to their German ex partner. The petition commission decided that the cases be heard before the plenary session of the European Parliament. Can one already say that the complainants have achieved a victory? Mr Marcin Libicki: During the discussion the majority of the Parliamentary members expressed that the problem has to be solved urgently. The German member of the petition commission, MEP Rainer Wieland, defended the prescribed regulations, on which basis the Youth Welfare operates. In his opinion there can be no such talk of Germanising. The commission however unanimously decided, to begin with the procedure to have the case brought before the full Parliament for debate. Rzeczpospolita: We are always talking about Poland. But this does not only concern Polish parents........ Mr Marcin Libicki: The matter started with polish parents, who are extremely active. But it has been established that the problem has international dimensions. It does not only concern Polish but also French, Belgians and Americans. I however point out that not the German Justice is being criticised, but the practices of the Jugendamt. They are in some cases extraordinarily brutal. One of the mothers stated that when the police came to take her child away with a court order based on the recommendation of the Jugendamt, they entered her house with dogs. Rzeczpospolita: How can one fight against such methods? Can the European Parliament put pressure on the German Government? Mr Marcin Libicki: If it comes to a debate before the Parliament, the political pressure is so strong, that the Government of the convention country often gives way. In this manner we have achieved changes to the law in Greece, where on the basis of existing laws cars, could be confiscated at will on the grounds that they had been smuggled. A country that is under fire fears that if it does not act on the advice of the European Parliament, that the European Commission or to the European Court will take up the matter. They can put concrete sanctions in place. We all know the case of Rospuda. Rzeczpospolita: Has the session of the petition commission yesterday confirmed that the activities of the Jugendamt be named a form of discrimination? Mr Marcin Libicki: That has even confirmed even by the representative of the German Government, alone in the case of Mr Pormorsky. In their opinion the actions of the Jugendamt were wrong, in that it did not allow him to speak Polish with his own daughter. Mr Marcin Libicki: Some of the complainants demand the liquidation of the Youth Welfare. Is that possible? Mr Marcin Libicki: The Youth Welfare in an institution. It has no individual responsibility before a judge and neither before the parents, as it would be in a case of a individual guardian in Poland. The employees of the Jugendamt often remain anonymous. A bureaucratic lack of consideration is evident in these cases . We can not apply for the authorities to be liquidated. We can only demand, that they do not violate fundamental freedoms and Human Rights. Knowing German obedience, so can one imagine that, when appropriate recommendations are made (by the German Government to the Jugendamt) they will be followed. Interview by Alexandra Rybiaeska  |
||
