MOSCOW, November 6 (RIA Novosti) — The issues regarding the removal of children from Russian families in Norway must be solved at an intergovernmental level without being politicized, Russian Children's Rights Commissioner Pavel Astakhov said Thursday.
"In order not to politicize the situation and not to declare Norway an area dangerous for Russians, the issue needs to be settled on the as a matter of routine procedure together with social agencies to find an acceptable solution," Astakhov told journalists.
He pointed out that Russia and Norway do not have a mechanism of communication for children and family issues. The ombudsman earlier suggested establishing a commission for the resolution of family disputes.
According to Astakhov, Norwegian authorities often neglect the presumption of innocence principle.
"A parent can be considered guilty because of an anonymous notification; his or her parenting abilities are questioned … As a matter of fact, [this leads to] the dissolution of the family and a removal of the child," he said.
In October, Norway's Child Welfare Services reportedly picked a 5-year-old son of a Russian couple from school and placed him into protective custody, claiming that his mother knocked out one of his loose baby teeth. The mother, though, insisted that the incident happened accidentally while she was helping him undress.
On Thursday, Astakhov said that Russia may request Norway return the boy to the family.
