MURDERERS WITH PROFESSIONAL PARENT'S CERTIFICATE

From Adevarul newspaper Friday, May 19, 2006--Front Page

MURDERERS WITH PROFESSIONAL PARENT'S CERTIFICATE

In Buzau, a child died, while another is in a coma because of the negligence of maternal assistants paid by the state of Romania.

Under a picture of the natural mother kissing the child's grave is the remark: "Lenuta, Ionut's natural mother, remembers her child a day after his funeral. Too late."

Ionut, barely a year old, died because of a blow to the head. Adrian is three years old and is in a coma after he fell into an iron pot of boiling water.

The destiny of these two children, both from Buzau, was mutilated and then murdered. It was mutilated by their mothers, who abandoned them after birth, and murdered a few days ago, by "professional" maternal assistants, whom the Romanian state trained, certified, and paid to care for them, to be their parents. The two maternal assistants who practiced their trade of "mamma" for Ionut and for Adrian, are now without certification. Dafina Simona Marin, 32 years old, and Viorica Lilia, 41 years old, both married, each also have in their care another child whom the CPS in Buzau have taken from their families. The prosecutor's office has begun an investigation, but Ionut is in a grave on which two bouquets of flowers were put on Wednesday, and where yesterday, a small green lizard was warming himself in the sun.

Adrian was brought three days ago to the "Grigore Alexandrescu" hospital in the Capital, by helicopter. He is in a coma because of burns on his back, bottom, and legs.

SUSPICIOUS DEATH

Ionut was born last year, April 28, 2005. His mother, Lenuta, 34 years old, has a psychological illness and drugs herself(inhales) with aurolac. She sleeps at train stations. She had another child that she killed with her own hands, suspects those at the CPS. She tied a rubber hose around his neck. Because of this they took Ionut from her and put him in the care of maternal assistant Dafina Simona Marin. "She was a very capable maternal assistant. She received her certification in 2003. She knew the courses. She graduated with high grades. She had, besides Ionut, another little girl whom she wanted to adopt. She sold her apartment to buy a house, where they children could play. It is terrible what happened to Ionut," said Carmen Nutulescu, general director of the Child Protection Services in Buzau. Ionut was taken last Friday to the hospital around 2:00 p.m. He was in a coma, after vomiting all his food that morning. In the evening he died. Since it was considered a suspicious death, an autopsy was done just Monday afternoon. The forensic medics (coroners) determined that the death of the child was because of a fractured skull. They discovered 3 cracks on the right side of the skull. The coroners say that the fracture happened on the day of his death, but the maternal assistant denies that. "He didn't fall that day. He fell earlier, but I didn't realize that he needed to be brought to the hospital. I don't consider myself negligent, but I'm sorry that I didn't know to bring him to the hospital in time," declared the former maternal assistant Dafina Simona Marin through telephone, after she initially refused to speak with reporters from Adevarul newspaper. A lawsuit in her name was opened to establish the conditions of the child's death." A hitting has been excluded, from the medical-legal point of view. It is a blow from a flat, not very hard, object. The maternal assistant told us that the little boy fell out of his crib a day before he died. We will continue the investigation to establish the conditions in which he was hit. At this time, we can't consider the case an infraction (of the law)," the criminal prosecutor Aurelian Iana told us. No matter what the results of the investigation are, director of the CPS in Buzau, Cecilia Manolesco, declared that she will not sign for Dafina Simona Marin to adopt her child or to continue to be a maternal assistant, because she proved negligent.

FUNERAL WITHOUT MAMA

"For the one I raised and I loved," was written on the flowers brought Wednesday by the maternal assistant to the funeral. The woman was white as paste and stood stunned. The godparents also came; a retired family, who had requested the CPS to give them a newborn to baptize. Those from the CPS put a toy next to his little hand. Ionut's natural mother was not at his funeral. The police searched everywhere for her, but she was not found. Yesterday, though, she came to the office of the CPS. She received the news of the death of her son without any expression of emotion. She decided to go to the grave. She lit a candle. She didn't shed even one tear; she smiled.

ANDRE, STARVED AND KEPT IN FILTH

"The child's clothing was filthy from mud, because he went to the bathroom in them and the dust from the ground stuck to them. He was wet, having not been changed for a long time, and his nose was runny and crusty. Even though it was lunch time, he wasn't fed, and the maternal assistant didn't have time for his personal needs," was written in the last report written up by the social worker after a visit to Mrs. Viorica Lilia, maternal assistant for Andrei. She was given a 5% reduction in her salary and after that if she continued the bad treatment of the child, he would be taken from her. Three days before he was to be taken from her, the child fell into an iron pot of boiling water and was scalded. Now he fights for his life. He is in a coma because of burns he suffered to his back, bottom and legs, and kidney failure.

Other Dramas:

May 2002 -- In Iasi, a newborn given to a maternal assistant to care for, drown in his own vomit.

August 2004 -- In Barlad, two sisters were forced to participate in sexual acts with their maternal assistants.

Sept. 2004 -- LaVaslui, a handicapped little girl was starved, beaten, burned and hidden away by her maternal assistant.

Oct. 2004 -- In the Mures county a baby died at the hands of the husband of a maternal assistant.

June 2005 -- In Dolj, a child died because of the negligence of the maternal assistant.

WHAT IS A MATERNAL ASSISTANT?:

A maternal assistant received an average of $275 (minimum of $185 and maximum of around $370) to which is added a monthly allotment for food either in money or groceries, as well as a housing allowance. All expenses incurred by the maternal assistant for the child, are reimbursed by the special county department. A professional maternal assistant is a person who, for a specified period, takes one or more children into their home to care for. Persons who prove capable of fulfilling the responsibility of caring for a child, who through their social behavior, state of health and psychological profile, guarantee the correct fulfillment of their obligations, can be certified as professional maternal assistants. They must have for their utilization a house that meets the needs for food preparation, cleanliness, education and rest of their users, who have followed the professional, formal courses to obtain certification to be a professional maternal assistant. Certification of a professional maternal assistant is valid for a period of 3 years, but can be suspended or withdrawn if it is established they have mistreated the children in their care.

In Romania there are around 14,000 maternal assistants.