Katja Vesselbo Døssing, MA’s debuted as a writer in May 2016 with the thriller, “Other People’s Children”, People’s Press, 276 pages, is a striking criticism of the Danish adoption policy with thinly veiled references to the ever-present Indian case concerning abducted adopted children living in Denmark in which AC International Child Support – Now DIA – is heavily involved.
The storyline about a politician Eva Quist with two Indian-Danish adopted children, Mathias and Julie, receiving mysterious threatening letters, is reminiscent of Jussi Adler-Olsen’s 2007 “The Keeper of Lost Causes” about the politician Merete Lynggaard whose past catches up with her in the midst of her turbocharged political career.
“Other People’s Children” jumps effortlessly between the past and the present, India and Denmark, and the pulling of strings by facile Danish politicians, adoption workers, corrupt Indian officials, the equally corrupt Preet Mandir Orphanage, Pune and Mumbai’s slum Dharavi in Maharashstra, from where both AC International Child Support and Dan Adopt provided many children despite the fact that India is known as one of the most corrupt countries on a par with Guatemala, Vietnam, Nigeria and Ethiopia, among many, when it comes to the classic story of parents from poor countries with no social safety net that have their children stolen for adoption.
Björn Sandberg, a divorced Indian-Danish adoptee Ammu from Delhi, activist of Justice For Children, is the book’s most interesting character. An activist and whistleblower, like Indian-German adoptee Arun Dohle of Against Child Trafficking who led Katja Vesselbo Døssing, Nikolaj Vesselbo and Johan Engbo to India’s child trafficking and the filming of the documentary “A Baby Business” describing Ramesh Kulkarnis relentless struggle to reunite with his children stolen and taken to Denmark.
A good novel for readers who do not know about adoption. A difficult and provocative eye-opener for those who are new to adoption. A painful reminder of the unethical Danish adoption system turning a blind eye – for those of us who are experienced in adoption and adoption policy.
Denmark is not better than the United States: childless people want children, adopters are self-defensive, opaque procedures, creative accounting, “reserving” of children, bogus adoption closures, fictional investigations, post-colonial ‘win win’ myths, the list is long and politicians continue to look the other way and ignore the real issues because Denmark is a small country and politicians want to be re-elected at all costs.
The exceptions are Katja Vesselbo Døssing and Nikolaj Vesselbo’s father, Eyvind Vesselbo, who, before he stepped down was the only politician who demanded that Denmark should have a completely different adoption organization, one that rose above AC International Child Support and Dan Adopt’s scandals. There is no doubt that Katja Døssing Vesselbo has knowledge of Danish politics far beyond the surface.
Indian adoptions are on track again. Other people’s children are still taken under the guise of law and legislators, and Ramesh Kulkarni has still not seen his children.
Iben Krarup Brown Høgsberg, Openness in adoption.
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Katja Vesselbo Døssing, cand.mag. debut som forfatter i maj 2016 med spændingsromanen Andre folks børn, People’s Press, 276 sider, er en slående kritik af den danske adoptionspolitik med slet skjulte referencer til den stadigt aktuelle Indienssag med bortførte adopterede børn bosat i hjertet af Danmark som AC Børnehjælp – nu DIA – er stærkt involveret i.
Setuppet med toppolitikeren Eva Quist med to indisk-dansk adopterede børn, Mathias og Julie, som modtager mystiske trusselbreve, leder tankerne til Jussi Adler-Olsen’s Kvinden i buret, 2007, om toppolitikeren Merete Lynggaard som også indhentes af fortiden midt i sin toptunede politiske karriere.
Andre folks børn springer ubesværet imellem fortid og nutid, Indien og Danmark og trækker tråde til letkøbte danske politikere og adoptionsarbejdere og korrupte indiske embedsmænd og børnehjemmet Preet Mandir, Pune og Mumbais slum Dharavi i Maharashstra, hvor både AC Børnehjælp og Dan Adopt formidlede mange børn fra trods, at Indien er kendt som et af de mest korrupte lande på højde med Guatemala, Vietnam, Nigeria og Etiopien blandt mange, når det kommer til den klassiske historie om forældre fra fattige lande uden socialt sikkerhedsnet, der får stjålet deres børn til adoption.
Bjørn Sandberg, den fraskilte indisk-dansk adopterede Ammu fra Delhi, aktivist i Justice for children, er nok bogens mest interessante karakter. En ildsjæl og whistleblower som indisk-tysk adopterede Arun Dohle i Against Child Trafficking der ledte Katja Vesselbo Døssing, Nikolaj Vesselbo og Johan Engbo til Indiens børnehandel og dokumentarfilmen A baby business som beskriver Ramesh Kulkarnis nådesløse kamp for at genfinde sine stjålne børn i Danmark.
En god roman for læseren der ikke kender til adoption. En svær og provokerende erkendelse for de der er nye i adoption. En smertefuld påmindelse om et uetisk dansk system, der lukker øjnene, for de der er erfarne i adoption og kritisk adoptionspolitisk involveret.
Danmark er ikke bedre end USA. Barnløse vil have børn, adoptanter går i selvforsvar, uigennemsigtighed, bogført drift, reservationer af børn, proforma adoptionslukninger, fiktive selv-undersøgelser, postkolonistiske win win myter, listen er lang og politikerne lukker fortsat øjnene – for Danmark er et lille land – og de vil genvælges for enhver pris.
Undtagelsen er Katja Vesselbo Døssing og Nikolaj Vesselbo’s far Eyvind Vesselbo, der – ved sin afgang – som den eneste politiker stod frem og krævede, at Danmark skulle have en helt anden adoptionsorganisation som ikke blev bygget på AC Børnehjælp og Dan Adopts skandaler. Ingen tvivl om at Katja Døssing Vesselbo kender dansk politik langt ind bag facaden.
Indisk adoption kører på skinner igen. Man tager fortsat andre folks børn under dække af lovgivning og lovgivere og Ramesh Kulkarni har stadig ikke genset sine børn.
Iben Krarup Brown Høgsberg, Åbenhed i adoption
