Three children from Moldova aged 9, 12 and 13 are in the process of being adopted by a family from the United States even if these refused the potential adoptive parents three times, head of the Public Association “Child Defender” Tamara Plamadeala said in a news conference at IPN. According to her, the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family and the Chisinau General Child Rights Protection Division seriously violate the rights of the children put up for international adoption.

Tamara Plamadeala said the three children found out that they were to be adopted by a family chosen by the Ministry of Labor on December 11. The siblings were to be adopted without their consent. “According to the law and the procedure, these children were to be first prepared for obtaining the status of adoptable child. They were to be told about the consequences of the adoption procedure and about their relations with the adoptive family,” she stated.

Under the legislation, children who turned 10 can be adopted with their consent. Thus, two of the children have the right to opinion. Tamara Plamadeala said the minors wrote applications were they indicated that they do not want to be adopted by this family. “The children also wrote an application addressed to me, by which they seek my assistance and primary legal aid in having their rights defended. In their applications to the Ministry of Labor and the Chisinau Division, the children wrote that they thank the family for presents and for their wish to adopt them, but noted that they do not want to be adopted in the U.S,” stated the association’s head.

The three children were invited to a discussion by the head of the Chisinau Child Rights Protection Division Svetlana Chifa. According to Tamara Plamadeala, Svetlana Chifa would have pressed the children into accepting the adoptive family from the U.S. and into having new meetings with this. “The Division’s head invited the children without their legal representative. When I entered the office, the children looked as if they cried. They stayed there for an hour, being persuaded to agree to go to the U.S.” she stated.

The legal representative of the children suspects that personal goals are being pursued by insisting on the adoption of the three minors by the U.S. family. Furthermore, she considers that the actions of the Ministry of Labor and the Chisinau Division are illegal in character.

Activist Igor Caldare told the same news conference that the problem is not reduced to this case only and is much bigger. “A ministry that drafts and proposes policies cannot simultaneously implement these. It is a conflict of interests,” he stated.

Tamara Plamadeala said she informed the law enforcement bodies about this case.