PACE official to inspect new-borns situation in Moldova

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s representative Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold, who is to prepare a report for PACE on illegal adoptions, will pay a fact-finding visit to Moldova on February 4-7, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to the Council of Europe, the goal of the visit is to investigate the advertisements in the newspapers by means of which single mothers were asked to sell their children for a subsequent illegal adoption, as well as to investigate in detail trafficking in new-borns. Vermot-Mangold stated before her departure that she does not want to create a scandal in Moldova. “I want to help this country and other European countries to fight against trafficking in children, if it will be proven that such an illegal activity took place”. Her schedule includes meetings with NGOs specialised in adoption and trafficking in human beings, as well as with authorities and MPs who are dealing with these matters. Also, the PACE official will visit maternity hospitals and a foster house for abandoned children. The Press Service of the Parliament announces that Vermot-Mangold’s visit schedule includes a meeting with Speaker of Parliament Marian Lupu. The PACE official will have joint meetings with the members of the Parliamentary Committee for Social Protection, Health and Family, specialists of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as with the representatives of the specialised NGOs. At the same time, Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold will discuss with Ludmila Popovici, Chairman of the Alliance of Social-Medical NGOs, Antonina Fonari, Chairman of the Alliance of Socail NGOs, Ion Mereuta, Association for Human Dignity and with Elena Burca, the Chairman of the Women Organisations Forum.