Authorities insist that police were just doing their jobs to protect children from trafficking, but the case has caused indignation in France amid sensitive debate over police treatment of waves of undocumented migrants coming to Europe in recent months.
The girl was detained Saturday at Charles de Gaulle airport, after arriving from Cameroon, said lawyer Sidonie Leoue. The girl was traveling as an unaccompanied minor carrying all necessary documents, and her mother was waiting at the Paris airport to greet her, Leoue said.
Police thought the girl’s passport photo didn’t resemble her, and suspected a fake, according to the lawyer and the French Interior Ministry.
The Paris-born girl was held in a special police day care for three days before she appeared before a judge, who asked the girl to identify her mother, seated across the courtroom, the lawyer said. The girl also was shown photos of a teacher and classmates from a school she had attended in France, and was asked to identify them, which she did.
“The judge said it was all a mistake” and ordered the girl’s release, Leoue said. “It’s inadmissible that minors are held there like this, especially for a reason such as this.”
“Verifying the identity of a child, establishing with certainty the link between the (child) and the person traveling with them or waiting for them at the airport, is about protecting the child against trafficking, kidnapping,” he said. He said minors are held in a special nursery at the airport run by Red Cross staff “to make their stay as calm as possible.”
However, amid anger over the girl’s case, he said the ministry issued guidance Friday urging border police to handle such cases very quickly to avoid delays.
Pierre Henry, head of migrants’ rights group France Terre d’Asile, said the case and another reported in French media Friday about a 3-year-old girl from Ivory Coast who was also detained at the airport, were “abhorrent” and reflected the “state of thinking” and suspicion surrounding migrants.
“It is an incident that should be condemned, and should lead to reflection,” said Henry. He warned against generalities, however, and acknowledged that airport police have made marked improvements in the handling of underage illegal migrants in recent years.
The girl was not identified because she is a minor. Her mother, speaking on Europe-1 radio, said her daughter “cried a lot” after the incident.
“She doesn’t stop talking about it,” said the mother, who was identified only by her first name Isabelle to protect her daughter’s identity.
“She asks each time ‘but why are they talking about me? Why did they do this to me?'”
Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said police are still analyzing whether the passport is valid and confiscated it pending further investigation.
AP
The Paris-born girl was held in a special police day care for three days before she appeared before a judge, who asked the girl to identify her mother, seated across the courtroom, the lawyer said. The girl also was shown photos of a teacher and classmates from a school she had attended in France, and was asked to identify them, which she did.
“The judge said it was all a mistake” and ordered the girl’s release, Leoue said. “It’s inadmissible that minors are held there like this, especially for a reason such as this.”
“Verifying the identity of a child, establishing with certainty the link between the (child) and the person traveling with them or waiting for them at the airport, is about protecting the child against trafficking, kidnapping,” he said. He said minors are held in a special nursery at the airport run by Red Cross staff “to make their stay as calm as possible.”
However, amid anger over the girl’s case, he said the ministry issued guidance Friday urging border police to handle such cases very quickly to avoid delays.
Pierre Henry, head of migrants’ rights group France Terre d’Asile, said the case and another reported in French media Friday about a 3-year-old girl from Ivory Coast who was also detained at the airport, were “abhorrent” and reflected the “state of thinking” and suspicion surrounding migrants.
The girl was not identified because she is a minor. Her mother, speaking on Europe-1 radio, said her daughter “cried a lot” after the incident.
“She doesn’t stop talking about it,” said the mother, who was identified only by her first name Isabelle to protect her daughter’s identity.
“She asks each time ‘but why are they talking about me? Why did they do this to me?'”
Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said police are still analyzing whether the passport is valid and confiscated it pending further investigation.
AP
BeforeGodAndMan Let the investigation keep rolling *brushing my teeth*
ReplyDeleteWell, in as much as d girls cries a lot about d incident, i don't blame d french police. Rate of child trafficking is high and if this type of security measure will curb it, then its very much okay by me.
DeleteThat's a country where nobody is above the law, not even a minor.
Delete#TeamBlessed#
Indeed “It’s inadmissible that minors are held there like this, especially for a reason such as this.”
ReplyDeleteMayb bcos she is frm Africa bcos they wil never treatt one of their own lik diis.
Not my business. No news day. Just toke's story everywhere. Shoutout to waje onyeoshi otu
ReplyDeleteCant blame the french police much.Child trafficking is a serious problem plaguing that clime.However 3 days is damn long.The verification/authentication shouldnt have exceeded a day.Some mothers tho.I dont see myself allowing a minor child of mine travel even from gwarimpa to galadima alone lol.
ReplyDeleteAnd we Africans are the victims. Will they have detained her if she was blonde and blue eyed? Or those kind of people don't participate in child trafficking? Smh
ReplyDeleteDetaining a 6 yrs old girl is uncalled for.. what stupid duty r they doing..this western world sef can like to surprise pple sha
ReplyDeletePoor girl
ReplyDeleteGod which kind policing be that one na. This ppl wicked oo
ReplyDeleteThe law is made for man and not man for the law.
ReplyDeleteImagine detaining her for 3days, policemen are same world over.smh
~BONARIO~says so via NOKIA LUMIA
No b small tin abeg free d little girl jor
ReplyDeleteNna see nonsensical act o! Are dey okiie??? Linda take note!
ReplyDeleteNawa ooo
ReplyDeleteLinda cogitate
Hmmmmm, they are doing their job like they said buh detaining a 6yr old???? That's bad abeg
ReplyDelete#ITwillONLYgetBETTER
#itMUSTendINpraise
Who get pikin?
ReplyDeleteNa wa o
ReplyDeleteOh well.
ReplyDeleteNawa oo.
ReplyDeletechai ! fine bobo loves you all , Linda u d go church/mosque ? always delivering (news) nice sha . fine bobo taking over
ReplyDeleteDats serious...detain a six year old
ReplyDeleteThey're just being careful and doing their job to prevent child trafficking.
ReplyDeleteIts a noble cause but three days is just too much....
ReplyDeletebuh, why would a 6year old not be accompanied in the first place sef....if the pikin go miss for France now, na una go still shout out say dem be gbomo, gbomo for France, chai! my country pipulu shaaaaaaaa! LMAO!
ReplyDelete