Report Danish Officials Face Backlash Over Baby Removal from Teen Mom

[webfact]

Pictures courtesy of Stuff New Zealand

 

Just one hour after giving birth, Danish authorities removed the newborn from a young Greenlandic mother, leaving her devastated. The incident occurred despite a recent ban on the widely condemned parenting competence tests that justified the removal.

 

Ivana Nikoline Brønlund, 18, who hails from Nuuk and represents Greenland in handball, delivered her daughter, Aviaja-Luuna, on August 11 at Hvidovre Hospital, near Copenhagen. Shockingly, her child was placed in foster care almost immediately.

 

“I didn’t want to go into labour because I knew what would happen afterwards. I kept my baby close within my womb: that was the closest I could be to her. My heart is so broken; I don’t know what to do without her,” Brønlund expressed.

 

Brønlund has only been allowed to see her daughter once, for just an hour, under strict supervision. She was not even permitted to comfort or change her baby's nappy.

 

Outrage has ensued because Danish authorities used FKU psychometric tests to evaluate Brønlund’s parenting capabilities. These tests have been banned since May for families with Greenlandic backgrounds due to claims of cultural bias against Inuit parents.

 

The Høje-Taastrup municipality, however, contested that Brønlund was “not Greenlandic enough” for the protections, even though both her parents are Greenlandic. They justified the decision partly on the trauma she endured from her adoptive father, who was imprisoned for abuse.

 

Denmark’s Social Affairs Minister, Sophie Hæstorp Andersen, is demanding explanations, stating, “Standardised tests should not be used in placement cases involving families with a Greenlandic background. The law is clear.”

 

Protests have erupted across Greenland and Denmark, with demonstrations also planned in Reykjavík and Belfast. Rights groups and supporters have labelled the removal as "horrifying," criticising it as a punishment for Brønlund's past trauma.

 

“This feels so wrong to punish Ivana for something she is not responsible for,” said activist Dida Pipaluk Jensen, who is spearheading a protest outside the Danish embassy in Iceland.

 

Brønlund's appeal is set for September 16, during which time she is restricted to visiting her daughter twice a month, for two hours each time.

 

This case has stirred painful memories of historical discrimination for many Greenlanders, prompting demands for immediate political intervention.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-08-27

 

[angryguy]

Confusing story. They took her baby because she failed a test?

[Sigmund]

On the other hand it may be a good idea to have mandatory  courses and training to those wanting to give birth to kids. When one sees how badly some parents do their job...

[nick supreme]

Stealing a brown woman's baby is 100% white supremacy.  The Danish should be ashamed of themselves.  

[TedG]

Holy human rights abuse.