Abuse of Vlaardingen foster child reveals youth care problems
Months after the case of the abused foster child from Vlaardingen (Zuid-Holland) came to light, many questions still remain. Why was the child not listened to? Marielle Bruning, Professor of Child Law, discussed this with NOS, NPO Radio 1, NRC and Nieuwsuur.
The Vlaardingen foster child mentioned on several occasions that she was being abused at her foster parents' home, and yet nobody intervened. In response to this, Professor Bruning has highlighted the importance of listening to foster children. ‘When a ten-year-old child speaks up, it’s important that they’re taken more seriously.’
Although a solution is being sought, it’s difficult to solve such a complex problem. Constant supervision and individual attention to the child are important aspects of preventing these kinds of tragic cases. However, it’s unclear who is responsible for doing this: ‘If in doubt, someone has to stand up and say, “I'm going to get to the bottom of this”. In such cases, responsibilities are often shifted to others, and meanwhile, the child is left in the lurch.’
Read and listen to Professor Mariëlle Bruning's perspective on this case via these links (in Dutch):
Nieuwsuur (vanaf 24:46)
NRC (€)
Jeugdjournaal (Children's news)
Image: Unsplash+