The Institutional Violence Prevention and Indication Center reported about a difficult situation on its social network Facebook account.
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Together with “TV Help” we filmed a story that is hard to believe.
A 2.5-month-old baby was separated from his mother and family. However, today the essential question is not only – why? The essential question is – where are the documents on the basis of which the state undertook one of the strictest possible interventions in family life?
According to the family, to this day they have not been given documents from which it would be possible to clearly understand what specific and real threat to the baby was identified, what facts it was based on, and why the child’s safety could not be ensured by less restrictive measures.
During the filming, when contacted by phone with a specialist from the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service, it was confirmed that the mother was verbally informed. When asked to send the documents by email, later the specialist invited the mother by SMS to come to the department again to review them.
The position of the Institutional Violence Prevention and Indication Center on this issue is principled: the more intensively the state intervenes in family life, the higher its standard of justification for the decision must be.
Separating a child from the biological family cannot become a preventive, disciplinary, or “just in case” measure. It is an extreme intervention in family life. Therefore, a verbal explanation in such a situation cannot be sufficient – the family must really know what decision was made, on what specific facts and legal basis it is grounded, and how it can be challenged.
When an institution has the power to separate a 2.5-month-old baby from the family, but at the same time the family has to persistently seek to obtain documents and find out on what basis such a decision was made, ISPIC considers this an obvious manifestation of institutional violence – an expression of structural power position against a person.
The essence of institutional violence is the power imbalance: a person faces an institution that has enormous powers to make decisions that fundamentally change his and his child’s life, but the person himself does not have equal opportunities to understand, verify, and immediately challenge such actions.
Child protection cannot be opposed to legality. The child’s interests cannot be defended by violating the family’s right to know why the child was separated from them.
“TV Help” together with the Institutional Violence Prevention and Identification Center provides assistance to this family,” the statement says.
Regarding this situation, the portal Žmonės.lt contacted the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour. Upon receiving a comment, the text will be updated.
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