Norway: Handling child custody case as per law

New Delhi, Dec. 27: Norway on Tuesday told India that it is handling the case involving the custody of a child of a Indo-Norwegian family in accordance with the Norwegian Child Welfare Act which includes directions from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

This was conveyed to the Indian ambassador who had gone to meet the Norwegian officials, who also informed him that since child welfare cases are highly sensitive, the cases are therefore subject to a strict duty of confidentiality.

Ahead of the meeting, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had said India wants the five-anda-half-year-old boy united with his biological parents and refused to accept that foster parents can take better care of the child than the biological parents.

“The foster parents are totally ignorant of the Indian culture and our food habits. We want restoration of Aryan to his natural parents,” Swaraj had tweeted.

According to Norwegian embassy spokesperson here, “The Indian ambassador to Norway visited the Norwegian authorities earlier today (in Oslo) to discuss the child welfare case involving a Norwegian/Indian family, where the child holds Norwegian citizenship. The meeting had a constructive atmosphere.

“The Norwegian authorities have reiterated that child welfare cases are handled in accordance to the Norwegian Child Welfare Act, which includes directions from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.”