Anyone else shocked at the EU's failure to help Bulgaria's abandoned children?

Question

re: BBC tv programme 17/11/2007.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/yoursay/bulgarias-children.shtml

Poor Didi! How she's trying to stay sane.

Could someone please rescue Didi?

And all the other children abandoned by family and the government?

Outrageous cruelty.

INHUMAN indifference!

SHAME on the UNCARING officials.

Answer 1

Charity begins at home - we have lots of problems in the UK so why should we help anyone else - what about our hospitals that need new equipment, especially the children's hospital, if I had money to spare I would give it to Yorkhill Children's Hospital, we also have housing shortage and homeless people so again why would I give it to another country, what about their own government, I have been to Bulgaria for holidays and they have plenty of money to help their own people.

Answer 2

what shocks me too is the fact that we brits are rushing over there to buy up their cheap houses

shame we arent so keen to force bulgaria to do something about their children

I totally agree with you-its appalling

Answer 3

yes it is absolutely shocking and yes every country has terrible problems but if a child is in the care of the state the state should care for the child not starve beat and neglect it until it dies. Comparing homelessness drug abuse etc to this is ridiculous and all those people who have answered with that type of comment must be totally uninformed and have probably not seen this programme.  The point is it is the fault of the Bulgarian government and if a Country cannot provide basic care for its vulnerable citizens then it should never have been allowed to become part of Europe. England is forever spouting off about human rights abuses in far off countries but this is part of Europe which is part of us therefore all you people on her up in arms about the situation why dont you actually do something like I have and sign the online petition lobby your mps and meps (mps for europe) do what you can to try to change things and make this world a better place.  It will make a difference and the wheels are in motion already just read the stuff on the official website and the bbc.

Answer 4

Sofia, November 5 (BTA) - The government's Agency for Social

Assistance has prepared a plan to improve care for the  children

in the Mogilino home for disabled children. This emerged on Monday

during a visit to the Mogilino facility by three government

ministers: of Labour and Social Policy Emilia Maslarova, of

Justice Meglena Tacheva and of European Affairs Gergana

Gruncharova. Details of the plan and the visit were made public

by Gruncharova's office.

The ministerial visit to the facility comes a couple of months

after the broadcast in the UK of "Bulgaria's Abandoned

Children", a BBC documentary showing the deplorable situation

of Mogilino's 75 children. The film has triggered an outcry in

Bulgaria even before the film has been shown here.

Under the government's plan, four of the children have already

been moved to other facilities in the larger Brestnik and

Rousse, three are being prepared to be moved and three are

already in a kindergarten for children with special needs.

By November 10, experts will be ready with personal health and

care profile for each of the children. For 21 children, the

authorities have obtained adoption permissions, Gruncharova's

office said.

In a separate effort, the Justice Ministry is preparing

amendments to the Family Code to simplify the procedure for

adoption of abandoned children, Justice Minister Tacheva told a

news conference in Mogilino. The amendments will become

effective before the end of this year and they will shorten to

two months from six months the adoption procedure for

institutionalized disabled children. The procedure will further

be streamlined by transforming it from judicial to

administrative. Parents who have abandoned their child for more

than one year will be deprived of parental rights. This will

facilitate the adoption of children whose biological parents

cannot be reached and their adoption consent cannot be obtained.

Amendments that will result in transparent and fast

international adoptions will be offered for a discussions before

the end of this month, said Justice Minister Tacheva.

She added that an electronic register of special-needs children

is being compiled and 36 children are already on it.

She commented that not many foreigners are willing to adopt a

child with such serious disabilities as those of the Mogilino

children.

In a recent interview for Bulgaria's "Capital" weekly,

"Bulgaria's Abandoned Children" director and producer Kate

Blewett said that the first thing that should be done for the

Mogilino children is have them examined by physicians, send to

hospital the chronically sick and prepare individual

developmental plans for all, including psychotherapy and speech

therapy.

She suggested that Mogilino could be turned in a good facility

with well-trained staff.

In the long term, Bulgaria should go for deinstitutionalization

of disabled children, said Blewett. The government should

encourage families to keep their disabled children and help them

by opening day-care centres where all special-needs children

could develop to the best of their capacity and have a full and

happy life, she said.

"Bulgaria's Abandoned Children" will be shown in The Red House,

a centre for culture and debate in Sofia, on Tuesday evening.

Blewett will be in the audience and will participate in a

discussion that will follow the screening of her documentary.

The Red House has invited to its event representatives of the

competent government institutions, international organizations

and embassies.

European Policy Minister Gruncharova said Monday that the

problems of special-needs children should be given publicity to

make society sensitive and compassionate. She is convinced that

NGOs are government's "most natural partner" in the efforts to

find a long-term solution and also the future providers of such

social services. BTA

(Parents were encouraged by the state to leave their disabled children in homes. Which is more horrible - that abortions were banned during Caucesku's rule in Romania and that there were thousands of parentless kids in homes, because the parents couldn't afford to look after so many of their own or that we  in Bulgaria had homes for disabled children? This orphanage is by no means a typical one. My mother was a nurse in one for babies and I keep in touch with one in Kaspichan - for kids from 3 to 7 years old - and the conditions are very good, the kids are being fed regularly and properly; they have a doctor and a nurse; they go to the seaside or the mountain in the summer. Yes, it's a home for kids in their position and the tendency is to have foster parents and families take them in, so there are less and less homes of any kind; but the film about Mogilino would be, as one doctor of psychology put it, to go around British pubs and by the behaviour of the people there to draw conclusions about the whole nation. What makes me mad is that there are women who dump their kids literally in dumpsters because they were afraid to tell a lover/ pimp; a parent... the list of excuses for being a ***** go on and on... some people don't deserve the joy of being parents.)

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This is what a friend of mine said on the subject:

"I'm sure if the BBC took the time to dig around in Germany, UK, Hungary, Holland, Poland, etc., then I'm sure they could also find dreadful living conditions, drug problems, violence problems. For many people, this does not mean to say it is the norm, nor should it be reported as such.

I notice that many people are happy to jump up and down, cry, scream, shout about this 'deplorable' situation in Bulgaria as portrayed by the BBC, but very few have put hands in pockets, done something constructive or positive or even visited these places.

I suppose back in Leeds, or Manchester, Glasgow or Liverpool one could probably find a similar situation in many a a doorway and make a 'shock 'n' scare' documentary for Bulgarian television about what it's really like living in modern day Britain with a health service no better than here, children going missing, crippling rates and taxation, kids running the streets so that all and sundry are afraid to go out day and night.

Bulgaria is not just about Mafia, abandoned children, stray dogs, poor healthcare, bureaucracy ... there's a bit more here than that, just a shame we don't get a fabulous three hour BBC special about the Rhodope Mountains, the Black Sea Coast or the Monasteries, the lack of violence here in ordinary day to day life, the welcoming and trusting neighbours willing to give you fresh fruit and veg, the youngsters longing to make their lives better ... of course, just in the interest of ensuring that their reporting is fair and balanced!"

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UNICEF calls to improve child welfare in Bulgaria

Statement 16 November 2007

UNICEF today renewed calls for accelerated efforts to improve the child welfare system in Bulgaria, particularly the reliance on institutionalizing children without parental care.

The statement is made in response to the documentary The abandoned children of Bulgaria, which was aired on the BBC. This documentary depicts the intolerable situation at one institution in Mogilino. It again emphasized that urgent efforts have to be channelled towards the prevention of institutionalization and improving assistance to children without parental care.

Donate to the Children in Bulgaria appeal

Answer 5

Yes. I saw that programme and just couldn't believe how anybody can treat children like that. I know Bulgaria is a very poor country, but it doesn't cost anything to treat children with respect. Those 'carers' are CRIMINALS AND SHOULD GO TO JAIL FOR A VERY LONG TIME. They have literally ruined the lives of so many children. Hopefully, the EU will do something about this ASAP (of course Bulgaria only joined EU recently). The case of Didi was most distressing. She started off as an intelligent, proud, happy person, and ended up as a just another lifeless figure waiting to die. Sadly, I think this is a common case in many countries especially those outside EU.

Answer 6

So are you saying that we should bring them here??? I wouldnt mind us helping them if they stayed in there own country this place is already bursting with all the raffjams that are here

Answer 7

This problem is up to the  Bulgarian people to deal with

Answer 8

It is terrible. The EU spends so much time and money helping needy populations in other continents and often overlooks those suffering closer to home.

and the adoption process in the UK makes is so difficult to adopt so there isn't an easy solution yet the UK advocates allowing scum like this to look after children..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/londo...

Answer 9

Not our problem,lets look after our own Children.