Thursday, February 9, 2023 | 3:00 a.m.
Last week the Department of Children, Adolescents and Family of the Municipality of Oberá was alerted about the situation of a minor who was abandoned in a precarious house in the Kindgreen neighborhood of Oberá.
“The mother leaves and leaves the son alone. Sometimes she does not return for several days, so the baby has to go out and ask for food. Come and see before a tragedy happens,” said an anonymous source who provided the address of the place.
The commune requested collaboration from the Women’s Police Station, whose staff corroborated the veracity of the case.
Already at the indicated address, near the Mbotaby stream, the uniformed officers were received by Ángel, barely 8 years old, who confirmed that he was alone because his mother had been out for several hours.
Meanwhile, he specified that his mother is called Rocío P. (29) and that he lived alone with her.
In the first instance, the troops consulted with the neighbors if they knew where the mother could be and if there was another relative of the minor in the neighborhood, but the inquiries were unsuccessful.
It was so that after chatting with the baby and in order to protect his integrity, the person in charge of the Children’s department decided to admit him to the Hogar Mitaí, dependent on the commune.
Precisely, the municipal body acts as a ward ministry in this type of case and has powers to take exceptional protection measures.
Although the parent appeared that same day, given the seriousness of the case and a previous history, it was decided that the child should remain in the Mitaí Home.
Rebinding required
in dialogue with The territoryFlorencia Donnerstag, in charge of the Children’s Department, specified that her area acts as a protection body, decides on the measures and then communicates them to the intervening court.
Beyond the statements of neighbors who assured that it was common for the mother to leave her son alone for hours, the truth is that last year the commune had to intervene to protect the boy.
“Last year we had a similar situation and the minor was institutionalized for a couple of days. Based on that background, it has now been decided that he continue at the Mitaí Home while we work on various aspects with the mother,” Donnerstag said.
Likewise, he mentioned that the neighbors report that the boy is continually left alone in the house, which in turn was denied by the parent.
“She alleges that she had to go to the doctor that day and left him alone because she had no one to leave him with. But she left early and the minor was alone for several hours,” she added.
According to current regulations, the state has a maximum period of six months to protect children in vulnerable situations, after which they must be re-linked to their parents or extended family, as long as the conditions are met.
In this regard, the official commented that “there are relatives who intend to take charge, but we must work on a process of re-linking because they have not seen the child for years. So it is necessary to create the link.”
“I’m willing to have it with me”
Teresa G., the minor’s grandmother, assured that for three years the mother prevented contact with the paternal family.
“More than three years ago he left with another man and from there he did not let us see him anymore. Neither my son, who is the father, nor me,” he said.
The woman assured that on several occasions her grandson was left alone in the house, according to what the neighbors told her, to the extreme that “a few months ago they found him alone trying to make a fire to make a cooked mate.”
And he added: “He is my grandson and I am willing to have him with me. I have a good job and I can take care of him. The mother had already been taken away and they gave him another chance, but he did not improve. I hope that now the authorities will evaluate better the situation”.
