What kind of reality is this?

[wayfaringwordhack]

 Today, after a seven-month-long court battle, foster parents Marie and Alvaro Plaza are at last going to be able to re-welcome Anne-Charlotte et Émilien back into their home.

The children were snatched away from the foster parents in the fall of last year. Why? Because The Powers That Be decided that the children received too much love from their foster parents. Yes, you read that right: too much love. 

During the five years that Marie and Alvaro had care of the kids, they committed several crimes:

1) They lavished Anne-Charlotte et Émilien with affection, treating the children as if they actually belonged in the family,
2) They bought the children gifts,
3) They took them on family vacations
4) They celebrated national and family holidays with the children...

You know, the really bad stuff...

And what evil influence did this have on the children?  Why, it made them much less inclined to want to someday (if ever the natural parents got their act together) return to their "real" family.

The family where they suffered mistreatment and sexual abuse; the family where Emilien, aged one, was still crawling on the floor and eating out of the dog's bowl, as if it were his own plate; the family where the father is currently in prison and the mother has been declared to have "a slight mental deficiency."

But today, a wise, humane judge decided that the children belonged with those who actually care for them. This does not, however, make up for the 7 months that the kids had to spend in institutionalized care, cut off from all contact with their foster family and friends.

Here is a link to news segment.  Sadly it is in French.  Couldn't find word of it in the English headlines.

Comments

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that craziness goes on stateside, too. Foster parents are asked not to be too too much like real parents. Poor kids :-(

But at least these two get to go back to a family that loves them. Maybe one day they'll be freed for adoption?

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Foster parents are asked not to be too too much like real parents. Poor kids :-(

Seems like a good way (by not being good parenting models) to increase disorders and socially deviant behavior, doesn't it?

[sunflower-sky.livejournal.com]

*headdesk*

I'm glad they're back with the people who treat them like children deserve to be treated.

~D

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

I'm glad they're back with the people who treat them like children deserve to be treated

Same here. I truly hope that they get to stay with this family.

[frigg.livejournal.com]

Yeah, how dare they love those children!

(I'm flabberghasted, but I've heard about such cases before)

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it just blows my mind...

[pjthompson]

Cases like this make me furious. We have one now where a two-year-old, raised since infancy with an adoptive mother, has just been taken away from the only home she's ever known because the birth mother lied about not knowing who the father was. The father, who was married to someone else when he impregnated the mother, and has four kids from his wife, and has been arrested on abuse charges, sued to have the two-year-old returned to him and a judge went along with it because the final adoption papers had yet to be signed. His mother has been awarded custody of the child. That's a criminal misuse of the law.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Wow. That is just...

I have no words. Lots of emotions, yes, but words fail me.

[pjthompson]

It makes me want to hurt most of the adults involved.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

I can understand that. :-|

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

It is stunningly amazing how stupid people can be when in governmental roles...

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Amen to that. It's like there is a sign that says, "Check your intelligence and compassion at the door."