According to DR, the broadcast of a new documentary series entitled “When the State Takes Forced Adoption” (Når staten bortadopterer) has sparked a wave of strong political reactions in Denmark, with several parties calling for a review of the laws and procedures relating to forced adoption, after the airing of stories described as “painful” and ”heartbreaking.”.
Political statements describe the documentary as painful.
Danish politicians used terms like “heartbreaking,” ”deeply disturbing,” and ”state-sponsored neglect” to describe what they saw in the documentary, according to the website. These statements come after the airing of several cases of children separated from their biological families and placed with foster families under controversial circumstances.
Children's stories reveal the system's failures
The documentary highlights several cases, including that of baby Ida, who was given only four days to adjust to her new family and cried continuously during the move. According to the documentary, psychologists indicate that this short period contradicts professional recommendations and could be psychologically harmful to the child.
The documentary also features the case of Emma, a child who was forcibly adopted but has been moved between several families and is still living temporarily with a foster family despite being three and a half years old. The report emphasizes that the children's names used in the documentary are pseudonyms to protect their identities.
The third story concerns the child “Gustav”, who was adopted, but the new family reversed their decision after seven months, and returned him to his first foster family in a shocking incident that took place in a parking lot.
Political background: A call to increase forced adoption
The roots of this issue go back to Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s New Year’s speech in 2020, in which she called for an increase in the number of children being adopted from their biological families, with the aim of providing them with “safety, love and stability”.
Since then, the number of forced adoptions has more than doubled, reaching 39 cases last year, according to the report.
The Liberal Alliance party is demanding urgent action.
The Liberal Alliance party criticized what it called ”painful failures in the system” and announced its intention to summon the new Minister of Social Affairs to a questioning session as soon as the government is formed.
The party's social affairs spokeswoman, Catherine Dugard, said: "I am beginning to question whether it is ethical and acceptable to continue with this approach, especially given the serious violations of the law and grave issues we are seeing.".
She added that there are concerns that municipalities have financial incentives that push them towards forced adoption because it is less expensive than keeping children with foster families.
The party also called for the creation of a new administrative court to expedite adoption cases and impose fines on municipalities that violate the law, asserting: “We need to impose clear consequences.”.
The ruling party's position: There is no need to suspend forced adoption.
In contrast, Social Democratic Party MP Camilla Fabricius rejected the idea of suspending forced adoption, saying during the P1 Debat program: “We proceed from the best interests of the child, and if the municipality and the appeals body see that forced adoption is the right option, then we must support it.”.
She pointed to the need to improve legal safeguards and address shortcomings in the system.
Accusations of child neglect
Politician Karina Adesbøll of the Danish Democrats described what was shown in the documentary as "neglect of care by the state," adding that she had to stop watching because she was so moved.
She said: “We are witnessing government neglect of children, families and foster families. It was extremely shocking.”.
She added that children are treated “like pieces in a game,” calling for the formation of a task force of experts led by a competent minister to improve the conditions of adopted children.
Child law and its objectives are questionable.
In June 2023, the Danish parliament passed the Barnets Lov (Children's Law), which expanded the possibilities for forced adoption. According to the Socialist People's Party, the law aimed to reduce the number of times children are moved between families and to provide them with a stable environment from the outset.
But party spokeswoman Astrid Caroey asserted that reality had shown the opposite results, saying: “When the opposite happens, it requires action. It is unacceptable for children to spend their crucial years in limbo.”.
She added that she seeks to discuss improving the law within the existing political agreement.
Government response: The system is under review.
The website quoted former Minister of Social Affairs Sophie Hestrup Andersen, in a previous written response, as saying: “For some vulnerable children, adoption is crucial for stability, and therefore I am closely monitoring the readiness of the adoption system to receive these children.”.
She confirmed that work is underway to improve the system in a way that serves children and families.
Partial official silence and limited comments
The report noted that the Social Democratic Party did not provide an official comment on the documentary in the context of this article, despite being contacted, while Camilla Fabricius participated in the radio debate.
He also explained that the Danish Municipalities Organization has not yet responded to a request for an interview to comment on the issue.
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