Harming the Kids in Romania

Here is another example of how the children in Romania are being harmed by those that pretend to care. My contact's comments are first and then the story.

This one was a big scandal a few months ago. Ion Tiriac (one of the richest men in Romania, whose son has been on trial for drug issues) and Emma Nicholson stopped two different girls from being adopted be Italian families. They claimed they were one big happy family at the lovely orphanage (owned by Ion Tiriac). The adoptions were both APPROVED, and taken to some European court and the girls were not to leave with their families--it was claimed this was the girls' decisions. A few weeks ago, one of those girls ran away from this lovely center. This is her story below.

Who has the right to confiscate Florentina's happiness?

Claudia PopaIulian Rinder

Wednesday, March 9 2005On Monday, Carlo Pini and Annalisa Bertani have been able to hug Florentina,the little girl they adopted back in 2000, but who is held hostage inRomania due to hidden interests.

To properly honor the moment of meeting her adoptive parents, Florentina haswritten a poem dedicated to her mother. For the first time in her life, the girl knew that her mother was not just a dream and that she would read her mother the love message she had composed.

Words are useless.

The emotion has been overwhelming for all three. "Daddy! Mommy! Finally, you came!" This is all Florentina was able to say when she met the people who she has been hoping, for the last four years, would be her parents. Their teary eyes and the wordless hug told everything about the parents' tender love. During all her childhood, the 14 years old girl never received hugs and affection. The orphanages and placement centers where she has been living until now gave her a lot: good, warm food, clothes, a shelter, proper education. But never a mother's caressing or a father's gentle care. The warmth of a family of her own is precisely the girl's greatest wish. And the dream that marked her childhood. "Nobody never asked me what I wished". After meeting the people who want to be her adoptive parents, Florentina answered questions from the journalists. She said she doesn't want to go back to the "Sun Valley" Placement Center because there she felt more and more lonely and tormented." Nobody never asked me what I wished for. I was not allowed to contact my parents, and I wasn't given their letters. The gifts from them are kept by the center's direction. On several occasions I have been punished and even beaten by the social mother and the guards. I didn't have many friends here, so there is nothing to tie me to this center," said the girl who will turn 14 at the end of this month. "I want to have a family, I want to go home. I want to have a room of my own, with a large bed and a piano. And two parents who would love and protect me", said Florentina. She must learn what a family means Florentina has very carefully cut and kept all the articles referring to her story, which were recently published by the newspapers. "She now feels like a little star, and right now this makes her happy. However, in the days to come she will need to be counselled to understand what has happened to her so far, but also what she may expect in the future. You cannot get used to afamily on your first or second meeting. She must receive training from our social workers and psychologists. Until now she never had a family model. They will teach her what a family means", explained Mariana Tiharau, the County Council general secretary. Most probably, Florentina will not go home in Italy with her parents at this moment. According to the manager of the Brasov General Direction for Social Assistance and Child Protection, it is important that the little girl will continue with her life as normal as possible, will go to school, meet her friends and get ready for the next step in her life: becoming a part of a normal family. Anyway, her future depends on the decision to be taken by the Court for Minors on Friday. Florentina's case had a large echo within the Romanian public. It would be extraordinary if the Court for Minors would allow her to join the family who adopted her. After all, who has the right to confiscate the happiness of a little girl who, after a childhood without the love of parents, finally has a chance?

An absurd decision.

In 2000, Florentina was adopted by an Italian family. However, she was stopped from moving to her adoptive parents by representatives of IonTiriac's foundation (who manage the "Sun Valley" educational center) who have attacked the adoption case in court. The scandal restarted two weeks ago when Florentina ran from the orphanage and asked for help from the Brasov county Direction for Child Protection. She is currently in the care of a maternal assistant.