The court suspended the adoption of a child from Balti municipality by an Italian couple. The Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family said the decision was taken following the identification of violations of the adoption procedure. On the other hand, children’s ombudswoman Tamara Plamadeala accuses the Ministry of violating the child’s right to have a family, asserting that this is revenge, IPN reports.

Minister Valentina Buliga told a news conference that the lawsuit filed by Tamara Plamadeala against the Ministry was rejected as groundless.

She said that after verifying the information from the Border Police Department, they established that the Italian family that wanted to adopt the child never visited Moldova after filing the application for adoption. According to the Balti temporary accommodation and rehabilitation center for children, the child was visited only by representatives of the Italian couple. This shows that no attachment was formed between the child and the Italian couple and this is against the conditions stipulated in the Law on the Legal Regime of Adoption that came into force in 2011.

Valentina Buliga said that the international adoption was thus not possible. Under the legislation, priority in the adoption process is given to the Moldovan families.

Contacted by IPN, Tamara Plamadeala said she will appeal the decision to a higher court and may even go to the ECHR to prove that the Ministry violated the child’s right to have a family. The adoption procedure was interrupted after the child got used to the Italian family and this thing was done intentionally. During two years, the child was matched with 18 families and three foreign couples, but every time the Ministry refused his adoption without presenting documents stipulating the reason. The ombudswoman said it was revenge, but gave no other details.