External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday conveyed to his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock concerns over an Indian baby girl who has been living in foster care in Berlin, and said the child should be in her linguistic, religious, cultural and social environment.
The German authorities had taken custody of Ariha Shah over a year back alleging that the parents harassed her.
The family members of the child, reportedly over one-and-half-years old, have been seeking her repatriation to India.
Jaishankar raised the issue of the child in his wide-ranging discussions with Baerbock.
“We have concerns that the child should be in her linguistic, religious, cultural and social environment. This is her right. And our embassy is pursuing the matter with German authorities, but it was also a subject which I had brought up with the minister,” he said at a joint media briefing with Baerbock.
“I think it’s a very delicate matter, there are privacy issues involved in it. So I think both governments are handling it with that very much in mind. So, I think that’s as much as I can say, publicly,” he added.
Baerbock, when asked about the matter, said the well-being of Ariha is very important to her.
“As a mother of two daughters, I would like to say that, for me, the wellbeing of Ariha Shah is very important to me. So I have received detailed information about this case, I can assure you that the child is well, and for everybody in India and for everybody in Germany, and the German authorities, more particularly the child’s wellbeing is the first priority,” she said.
Baerbock said German authorities are also bearing in mind the cultural identity of each child that is taken care of by the “youth offices” in Germany. “Children are only taken in custody by the youth office, if there are serious concerns about their wellbeing, for example, violent sexual abuse, or severe neglect,” she said.
“So, as has been said by my distinguished colleague, it is about privacy rights as well so we cannot say more at this point. The case is still pending in court and after the verdict of course, there can be a review, but for us what is most important, the first priority is the wellbeing of the child,” the German minister added.
Baerbock arrived here on Monday morning on a two-day visit.
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