Abandoned babies in Bulgaria

[The Earl of Desmond]

I have just watched the most appalling 90min programme on BBC4 about abandoned baby institutions in Bulgaria (the institutes for adults are even worse) - if I had not known when it was filmed I would have said 1989 in Romania right after the revolution but it was 2007 in Bulgaria a member of the EU.

How is it possible that this abuse can still be so widespread in an EU member state and what can be done to stop it immediately.

What politicans in the EU need to be contacted to get off their fat lazy asses and do something.

€100 million would no doubt be more than enough to provide proper buildings, pay staff properly, train staff etc but it seems it is more important to build motorways.

How did EU officials not make ending such abuse a condition of Bulgaria joining the EU as it did for Romania. It is 20 years since the end of communism and yet this abuse is still going on and the abuse and conditions of handicapped people in other former Soviet countries and Russia itself doesn't bear thinking about.

[The Earl of Desmond]

Did anyone see this programme or do epolle not care as long as they don't have to see the suffering with their own eyes as in Darfur etc?

[johnfás]

The same still exists in Romania and is appalling as you say. Friends of my family are involved in a charitable organisation trying to improve the conditions and so on. Ridiculous that the EU isn't more publicly and actively involved in improving this.

[The Earl of Desmond]

I was stunned. It was a horror movie. The poor children were slowly going insane with all the rocking and self harm etc which takes over when a person is literally left sitting on a chair all day. Then to see the way the carers 'cared' - just short of hosing them all down the way you could a group of animals. All because they were blind or deaf or had Downs etc. No reason at all why they should not have loving and fulfilling lives.

Then the place were they end up as adults - I can not get my head around that such places exist in Europe in 2007 and as to how children and adults with special needs must suffer in Russia etc - I can't imagine.

Makes you wonder if there is a God.

I'll be writing to the Bulgarian Embassy and various MEPs and also to the former King of Bulgaria who was PM.

[MichaelR]

s to how children and adults with special needs must suffer in Russia etc - I can't imagine.

Look, if don't like Russia so much and want to start a thread about it, please do. The site has at least one Russian (me), and at least one Irish expert on Russia (DaraghM). But let's not do it all over the place.

[Aindriu]

I was stunned. It was a horror movie. The poor children were slowly going insane with all the rocking and self harm etc which takes over when a person is literally left sitting on a chair all day. Then to see the way the carers 'cared' - just short of hosing them all down the way you could a group of animals. All because they were blind or deaf or had Downs etc. No reason at all why they should not have loving and fulfilling lives.

Then the place were they end up as adults - I can not get my head around that such places exist in Europe in 2007 and as to how children and adults with special needs must suffer in Russia etc - I can't imagine.

Makes you wonder if there is a God.

I'll be writing to the Bulgarian Embassy and various MEPs and also to the former King of Bulgaria who was PM.

I think you will be wasting your time sadly. They seem to treat orphans and mentally challenged children and adults far differently in Eastern Europe that we do.

I agree that it is disgusting and horrifying.

[The Earl of Desmond]

But we hear of Russia spending so much money on new weapons but then there are human beings living in the sort of conditions that you simply can not believe still exist in 2007 so why?

Do you deny that Russia does this? There are other countries too but Russia has the moeny to stop this.

Just as one example - there was an 8 year old boy who was abandoned just because he was blind. If you just saw ablack and white picture you would think it was from a concentration camp in 1945. It is horrific.

Then they went to the places these children go when they turn 18 and they were even worse.

Basic humanity wold mean that no person could let children suffer like that and they were actually suffering in pain with broken legs from malnourishment which the staff use a splint on - can you imagine how painful that is.

I am not picking on Russia or Bulgaria. Bulgaria is a member of the EU and Russia is a rich country and there is NO EXCUSE at all for this situation.

So please do not try to explain one. There are some things which are not acceptable no matter what the country.

Michael pretending it does not exist is not good enough.

[TheBear]

<Mod>Moved to the Europe forum.</Mod>

[clareman51]

I agree, EoD. But saying that there is nothing that can be done by other posters is incorrect. If you want to make any cross-party protest to the EU made up from posters here, I will assist you in any way you think will put pressure on the EU and Bulgaria to improve. Perhaps if Bulgaria could eventually set an example to the other Eastern bloc countries, then this modern horror story might have a different end.
I'm sure there are other posters out there from all parties who would be willing to assist.

[popper]

Perhaps it is part of their culture to treat children in this way. After all, who are we "white" people to say that it is bad.