Protest gathering against Barnevernet in Prague

Over two hundred people gathered outside the Norwegian embassy in Prague on Saturday to protest against Barnevernet’s policy of taking children away from their families. Barnevernet’s policy stirred fresh anger in the Czech Republic after the organization removed a seriously ill nine-month-old baby from the care of its Czech mother and Norwegian father in late December. They said the parents had not sufficiently bonded with the infant, who has a rare genetic condition and is in hospital awaiting a kidney transplant. Last year a Norwegian court ruled that two boys removed from their Czech parents by Barnevernet were to be put up for adoption. The Prague protest is part of a chain of demonstrations against Bernevernet in a number of countries.