Romania’s Prosecutor General, Bogdan Licu, has announced on Monday that he would ask the court room to compel the U.S. foster parents of the 8yo girl from Mehedinti, Sorina, that she is getting psychological counselling, also stressing that he cannot ban the girl from leaving Romania.
The eight-year-old girl has been taken by special police forces from the house where she had been raised by a foster carer in Baia de Arama, Mehedinti county, western Romania, after the girl had been adopted by a Romanian-born family living in the U.S.
“An ordinance banning the girl from leaving the country cannot be ruled in this criminal record. I am thinking though to a civil action. I cannot forbid the little girl’s departure. I am considering to ask the court room to compel the current parents to provide psychological counselling to the girl for a short amount of time,” PG Licu pointed out.
After being taken by the case prosecutor and special forces from the foster family that had raised Sorina since she was 1 year old, the girl reunited with her foster parents, a Romanian-born pair living in the U.S. The foster parents released pictures with the girl, saying she is OK, in good health and beginning to accommodate in her new family.
Asked how he is commenting the fact that the head of the prosecutor who intervened in this case is the husband of the judge who ruled on this adoption case, the PG replied: “What shall we do? Prosecutors are human beings, too. They love, get married. Is marriage between lawyers, magistrates forbidden?”
Bogdan Licu further said that a case on how the prosecutor acted in this case had been opened at the Special Section for investigating magistrates, and a team is in Craiova to conduct further checks. The file is probing into an alleged abuse of office, judiciary sources said.
“As prosecutor, I won’t tolerate abuses, I won’t cover mistakes. All deeds will be checked in this case, I cannot comment an ongoing file”, Licu said, underlining that the Public Ministry will make sure the girl’s rights will be „restored and observed”.
“The child must not leave the country unless full guarantees are met that her departure is made under psychological and physical circumstances”, the PG added.
The head of the Superior Council of Magistracy, Lia Savonea has notified the Judicial Inspection to conduct checks on the conduct and manner the case prosecutor has intervened.
JusMin says the girl should stay in Romania until the procedure is figured out
On the other other, Justice Minister Ana Birchall, has stated that, in her view, the orphan girl from Mehedinti should not leave Romania with her new foster family until all circumstances regarding the legality of the adoption procedure are settled.
“I wouldn’t like to ever see these actions in Romania again (…) As Justice minister, I could everything I could. Personally, I think it’s normal that the girl stays in Romania until all circumstances related to the legality of the procedure are settled. Legally, I am not allowed to prejudge”, Birchall said.
A controversial case
Sorina, the 8yo little girl from Baia de Arama, Mehedinti, has been adopted by a Romanian-born family living in the U.S. this year, after no family in Romania had wanted to adopt her. Her former foster carer, has given two statements so far saying she doesn’t want to adopt Sorina, authorities argue.
On the other hand, the foster carers that had raised the girl so far say they had been actually denied adoption and that they had been compelled to sign the papers allowing her adoption by the U.S. couple.
The case have prompted emotion across the country, and also protests in Baia de Arama, with tens of locals protesting against the way authorities have managed this case.