Protests as newborn removed from Greenlandic mother after ‘parenting competence’ tests | Greenland

A baby of the mother promenade a mother was removed from her by the Danish authorities after having undergone tests of “parental competence” – despite a new law prohibiting the use of controversial psychometric assessments on inherited persons.

Ivana Nikoline Brønlund, who was born in Nuuk of Greenlandic parents and played for the Greenland handball team, gave birth to her daughter, Aviaja-Luuna, on August 11 in a hospital in Hvidoven, near Copenhagen, where she lives with her family.

An hour later, the local municipality took the infant with the foster family. Brønlund, 18, says that she only saw her daughter once, for an hour, when she was not allowed to comfort the baby or change her diaper.

“Parental competence” tests, known as FKU (ForældrekompencenceUndersøgelse), were prohibited on people with green history earlier this year after years of criticism by activists and human rights bodies, who successfully argued that the tests were racist because they were culturally unsuitable for people from the Inuit. While the law entered into force in May, activists ask why Brønlund was still subject to a test.

Danish Minister of Social Affairs, Sophie Hæstorp Andersen, said that she was concerned about reports and had asked for the municipality behind the decision, HØJE-TAASTRUP, to explain her treatment of the case. “Standardized tests should not be used in placement cases involving families with green history. The law is clear, ”she said.

The case of Brønlund caused demonstrations in Greenland, with other demonstrations planned in Nuuk, Copenhagen, Reykjavík and Belfast.

Brønlund was informed that her baby had been removed due to the trauma she had suffered in the hands of her adoptive father, who is in prison for sexually abuse. The municipality told her that it was “not Glorine enough” for the new law to prohibit the tests to apply, despite his birth in Greenland of Greenlanders.

Local authorities began tests on her in April – after an announcement in January that the ban was coming. They finished the tests in June, when the law was in force. Brønlund was informed three weeks before giving birth that his child would be removed.

The municipality refused to comment, saying that it was linked by confidentiality. But he admitted to having faults in his processes and said he was trying to guarantee that family’s legal requirements were met and “the best possible solution” for the family.

Brønlund told the Guardian: “I didn’t want to get into work because I knew what would happen afterwards. I would keep my baby near me when she was in my stomach, it was the closest I would be with her. It was a very rough and horrible period.”

She said that her first meeting with her daughter, earlier this week, was interrupted early because the baby would have been excited and overstimulated.

“My heart broke when she [the supervisor] stopped the time. I was so sad, I shouted in the car and in the car. It was so fast that we had to leave, “she said, through tears.” My heart is so broken, I don’t know what to do without it. “”

Brønlund is allowed to see his baby, under supervision, once fifteen for two hours at a time. His call will be heard on September 16.

The adoptive mother of Brønlund, Gitte, who is half-Greenlandic and lived there up to 37 years, said: “It looks like you are not allowed to have a trauma if you want to be a mom.”

Activists have called on the Danish government to take urgent measures to help Brønlund. Dida Pipaluk Jensen, who co-organized a demonstration in the Icelandic capital outside the Danish Embassy on September 18, said the way the tests were used on the Greenlanders were “horrible”.

Activists also organized a demonstration in support of another green mother, Keira Alexandra Kronvold, whose case caused a global outcry after the Danish authorities forcibly withdrew his daughter Zammi two hours after his birth. They are always separated.

From the case of Brønlund, Pipaluk Jensen said: “One of the reasons why the municipality said for the withdrawal of his daughter was due to anterior trauma in Ivana’s life. It seems so bad to punish Ivana for something she is not responsible.”

Laila Bertelsen, the founder of Foenengen Mapi, an association that helps inits in Denmark, wrote to the Minister who urged her to intervene. She wrote: “Here we are faced with a failure of the child and the mother, which requires immediate political action.”

Hæstorp Andersen, who is expected to visit Greenland in September, said any municipality planning to place a child with care training, or considering using FKU families on Grora families, “must rather use a special unit known as Viso”.

Anya Krogh Manghezi, director of children and young people from the municipality of Høje-Tastrup, said: “Based on the case and the raised criticisms, we have examined our case treatment. We have evaluated that we showed reasonable contact by finally contacting the Viso already in January, but we must recognize April 29 April.

“We are therefore now in close dialogue with Viso on how we can get advice on an update basis as soon as possible. We are only interested in ensuring that the legal requirements of the family are met and that the best possible solution is found for the family. ”