Vika Maroz’s guardians do not object to her travel to Italian “foster parents”

The European Radio for Belarus reported earlier about the deal signed by Italy and Belarus about the rehabilitation of Belarusian children. Orphans from the Vilejka orphanage have already started packing for their holidays in Italy. This is the orphanage that used to care about Vika Maroz. When her Italian hosts refused to return her to Belarus last year, scandal burst out. As a result, Belarus suspended trips by the Belarusian children to Italy.

Now that the deal is signed and children are free to spend their holidays in Italy again, the European Radio for Belarus decided to find out if Vika Maroz too could spend her vacations with her Italian “parents”.

Georgi Butrym, an official from the Ministry of Education of Belarus, sees no serious hurdles for that, even if the invitation is issued by the family that was responsible for the last year’s scandal.

Georgi Butrym: “I don’t think that there could be any hurdles, although we were and remain concerned over the behavior of this family. This issue must be reviewed in detail. Possibly, here guardians would object. Even the best aspirations to give an orphan a family must be realized in the framework of the law. The behavior of the family was not adequate. Their charges against the orphanage in Vilejka were trumped up.”

Nevertheless, education officials from Minsk region could become a hurdle for Vika’s travel, the official said.

Vika’s guardian Alena Vasileuskaja told the European Radio for Belarus that the girl adapted herself well in their family and was feeling well.

Alena Vasileuskaja: “Vika feels good. The only thing is that she does not cope at school.”

The Italian “parents” call her quite often. Vika responds herself to the calls, because she is the only one in the family who speaks Italian. The last call came in two weeks ago. Alena Vasileuskaja says there was no talk yet about inviting the girl to Italy, but she would not object to this trip.

Alena Vasileuskaja: “We don’t mind. She feels very connected to them. They love her.”

It appears that the only hurdle on Vika’s way to Italy could come from the education department of the Minsk region. The department’s first deputy chief, Mikalai Kulesh does not object to Vika’s holidays in Italy as a part of a group, but has doubts over the need to meet the family again.

Mikalai Kulesh: Our stance is like this: we will go ahead, if she travels in a group of children. Otherwise, we will need to review this matter.”

The official did not confirm the rumors that the girl was banned from traveling abroad.

Mikalai Kulesh: “I don’t know where these rumors are coming from.”

According to the Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belorussii newspaper, the Italian family is expecting the birth of their own child in summer. But, the Italians are still dreaming about adopting Vika.

Photo by minsk.kp.ru