Check it out for yourself and don't forget to click the CC button for English subtitles...
I can't help but think how I would feel if I was in their shoes...gutted...devastated...willing to do just about anything to see this thing through. That's how I would feel and seems to sum up the emotions I see in Perter and Laurent. That is heartbreaking and appalling. I can't believe that Belgian lawmakers would rather see this little boy sit in an orphanage while they dither about surrogacy laws. If there are no laws forbidding surrogacy then there should not be so much resistance to allowing these men to bring their son home. I hope these two men NEVER give up. Don't let the dream die gentlemen that little boy will know that he was loved and wanted by his two dads who love him very much...that's something we can never give up hope on.
Facebook pages in English and in French have been created to help support these men and an online petition has been launched to help these men bring their son home. find the petition here. Lets hope we can bring enough pressure to make someone in the Belgian government stand up and help this family. I hope their family can be whole again someday soon.
Why is their child in an orphanage?
ReplyDeleteCouldn't one of them stay with it temporarily?
So if a man impregnated a women in another country the normal way and the mother gave the child to the father they would not accept it either? Hardly! This is a case of pure discrimination.
ReplyDeleteThe child is biological to Laurent. The mother gave him up leaving the only parent being Laurent by international law. Belgium denying citizenship to a biological child of a citizen is wrong.
There is not even a case of the mother wishing to immigrate. I would love to hear their real excuse. Just because there is no protocol is not an answer. It is an issue of citizenship. Do you deny biological children of citizens or not.
Very narrow minded and using the letter of the law to harass the couple. I do believe they need to change tactics and sue for harassment and discrimination.
T
To take out your prejudice on adults is one thing, to take it out on an innocent child is quite another. The first is a demonstration of ignorance, the second a demonstration of inhumanity, cruelty, and a general lack of conscience.
ReplyDeleteThere is no question that they should take the case to the European Court of Human Rights. Hearing what the Belgian courts are putting them and their son through makes me sick.
If there is ANY lasting harm done to that child by this ordeal, if ANYTHING happens to him, the blame falls squarely on the heads of the Belgian government and courts.
Really heartbreaking. Can´t understand how this can happen. There are The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child that requires that states act in the best interests of the child. And Belgium does certainly not. The child is forced to live in an orphans home!! And as was commented here if the child had been conceived by intercourse and the mother gave the father the rights to his child. What would have happened then? Would there have been a problem to bring his son home? I doubt that.
ReplyDeleteI wish Peter and Laurent there best to bring home there son soon.
Hello, Here Steven from the Holebis-channel.
ReplyDeleteI'm from Belgium and I think that the problem is
that 1 of our 7 governments (we are a federal country like the US), the "FEDERAL GOVERNMENT", hasn't been installed yet. And it is THAT government that is responsible for making laws about such issues. (Belgian identity-cards, Internal and Foreign affairs, etc...). The old Federal Government still governs but CANNOT make IMPORTANT NEW LAWS, but only "ungoing affairs".
Although the elections for that 1 government were in june last year, there's no agreement yet, and so no new federal government yet. Reason for that is that the new government will be able to change the constitution of Belgium, and there are lot's of discussions between Franch- and dutchspeaking politicians and parties, very difficult to explain in 2 words).
If the already +250 day-negociations don't lead to an agreement, new elections will be done and new negociations will take place and if that won't help, the country can even split in two parts (or more : because : what with Brussels in that case ?) But not much people want this scenario (splitting of the country) to take place.
(..) It's even a bit funny : Peter is native dutchspeaking, and Laurent is native Frenchsspeaking (and they have no problems living together as a couple).
ReplyDeleteIt's even very strange : You wouldn't think that in Belgium there would be problems, you would expect that earlier to be the case of Ukrain. But in this case it's the opposite.
I find it also like everybody a sad situation.
What I also find sad is that although gays can marry (2003)and adopt (2006) since several years now in Belgium, adoption has become more difficult. (Social service-investigation, even the youthjudge has to give permission, etc...)
But that's the case for ALL adoptions (gay and straight adoptions).
Anyhow gay♥ and greetzz from Steven of Holebis -YT-channel ♥♂♂,♀♀♥
Still 1 note =
ReplyDeleteBack to the couple and the child : 1 more thing :
This case could lead to a breakthrough about
surrogacy in the EU, because they say they'll go to European courts with this.
This could well be picked up by the European Commission and the European Parliament, because of the uproar about this case.
Note : Important about the incident is also the following : Ukrain is NOT part of the EU for the moment or "yet". Poland and Belgium ARE EU-member-states however.
Gay♥ from Steven of Holebi -youtubechannel ♥♂♂,♀♀♥
(little mistake : it's not yet 250 days, but I'm sure it will become 250 days and more, before in Belgium a new federal government will be installed. I told -laughing- to my mother several months ago, that I thought it would be till Easter that the politicians will need to reach an agreement. But it are indeed very important negociations that will change a lot in Belgium). Nevertheless important issues like this
ReplyDeletehave to be decided by that new government, and I hope everything will turn out alright.
Steven
Pictures + UPDATE NEW VIDEO
ReplyDeleteHere the pictures =
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=39945&id=185589418129884
And there's a new video on the channel about the baby, now from an UKRANIAN TV-station !
This by Youtuber " roelvanacker "
Steven
Thanks Steven...part of why I posted this was because I felt uproar was needed to help this little boy come home. Sometimes we need to hold some peoples feet to the fire in order for them to see the practicle ways in which people are being harmed by their political manuevering....and I just can not stand kids getting caught in the middle of that kind of thing. thanks for the update.
ReplyDeleteBryan
thanks for posting this story!
ReplyDeletehere is an interesting clip from Ukrainian TV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeZGq9nYNlc&feature=watch_response
a new government would not change much - apart from a parliament with more power could discuss this as a topical issue, and force politicians in power to act out of their way to solve this - but it takes some time to make a law, and with surrogacy this will certainly not be done overnight (in Europe, there are a lot of ethical/moral issues with (commercial) surrogacy)
it seems that the Belgian Consulate has the power to act, but won't, and the Belgian Court can overrule the consulate to recognise this childs birth certificate..
the court will issue a judgement the 15th of februari, let's hope it will be in the child's best interest, and not made into an example to discourage people to go to Eastern-Europe to 'buy a child' through commercial surrogacy..
-roel
some good news from Laurent (today February 15th 2010):
ReplyDelete"The Belgian judge said YES, we just got the decision. The judge recognizes after 2 years of waiting the 'lineage' (bond between father and son). Prosecutors still have 1,5 month as from 28/02 to appeal. We will demand a Belgian passport for Samuel at the Ministries of Foreign Affairs this week, and we cross our fingers that the response is immediate and that we do not hear of an appeal. If all goes well, it should go fast... let's hope..."
Let's cross our fingers and hope together with them!
-roel
BAD BAD NEWS, Peter just messaged us: "Dear all, we're back to "start", the ministery doesn't agree with the judge's decision"
ReplyDeletemeaning the prosecutor will appeal, and Samuel still can't get a passport and come to his family.. sad sad thing!
-roel
*** GREAT NEWS TODAY! ***
ReplyDeletePress release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium (February 18th 2011)
Following the recent ruling by the Court in Brussels on Samuel Ghilain - who currently resides in Ukraine - Foreign Affairs will comply with the court order to deliver a passport to the child.
it seems the battle for Laurent and Peter to get their son home is finally at it's end!
-roel
Hello everybody,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the updates, Roel.
So's I don't have to do them :)
Anyhow :
For updates :
See the latest videos on
Youtubechannel RoelVanacker and in the comments and the info below the videos.
Gay♥ and greetz from Steven of Holebis - channel YTube ♥♂♂,♀♀♥
Im glad this worked out for the guys but I makes me wonder how many others are going though something similar else where in the world...
ReplyDelete