A child from Romania is said to have been sold in Germany for a derisory sum.
News.ro reports that it could be a few hundred lei, Antena 3 mentions 8,000 lei (1,600 euros).
What is certain is that prosecutors and employees from the Child Protection Department are conducting investigations after a six-year-old boy was allegedly taken out of Romania by a German citizen with a fake power of attorney, writes Adevărul.
And the president of the National Agency for the Protection of Children's Rights will travel to Germany to get him back. The case originated from a report by the German authorities.
The boy is said to have been sold in December 2023. The family he comes from had several children, but was not monitored by the Social Assistance and Child Protection Directorate because they had not raised any issues in the past.
Authorities learned about the transaction when a report from Germany arrived at the Gorj Child Protection Directorate, requesting verification of the boy's whereabouts.
Subsequently, representatives from the Child Protection Department were the ones who informed the DIICOT (Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism) about this case.
The child's father is an alcoholic, and the mother seems to have mental health issues, as noted by the authorities who visited the family's home, according to News.ro.
"The minor's situation came to the attention of the Gorj County Social Assistance and Child Protection Directorate following a letter from the National Authority for the Protection of Children's Rights and Adoptions in April 2024. The procedure was immediately initiated in accordance with the current legislation, and the competent institutions were notified to verify the reported aspects and intervene according to their legal competencies (DIICOT).
Representatives from the Gorj County Social Assistance and Child Protection Directorate visited the family's home together with representatives from the local authority to assess the socio-family situation," said Minodora Sucea, the spokesperson for the Gorj County Social Assistance and Child Protection Directorate, to Agerpres.
At the boy's home, there were two other children (an eight-year-old girl and a two-year-old boy), who were taken and placed with professional foster carers.
"A psychologist and social workers from the Gorj County Social Assistance and Child Protection Directorate, along with the General Director, Laurenţiu Diaconescu, and Minister Natalia Intotero, visited the two siblings at the foster carers' home, engaging in discussions with them.
The two minors are undergoing a psychological counseling program, as well as other medical investigations based on the identified needs", added Minodora Sucea.
The case originated in Germany
The Minister of Family, Natalia Intotero, stated that "next week, the president of the National Authority for the Protection of Children's Rights and Adoptions will urgently travel to Germany to discuss with the German authorities for the prompt repatriation of the minor who is currently in their care."
"Yesterday (Thursday - ed.), I made sure that the siblings of the minor who is now in Germany are well taken care of by the Romanian state, through the General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection.
Together with the director of the Gorj County Social Assistance and Child Protection Directorate, I visited them yesterday. I talked to the foster carers. I was in the presence of psychologists. I made sure that they are currently receiving and will continue to receive support from psychologists and are very well taken care of.
This is a case handled by DIICOT. DIICOT was notified by the Gorj County Social Assistance and Child Protection Directorate, following a request from the National Authority for the Protection of Children's Rights and Adoptions, received from the social protection authorities in Germany to provide more information about the situation of the minor in question in Romania," stated Natalia Intotero in a telephone interview with Antena 3.