Source: ARGOS
Broadcasted on 5 May 2018
English translation
Roelie Post: The Life of a Whistle-Blower
Part 5
Also Italy had a very strong lobby with the adoption agency Amicy dei Bambini. Despite the moratorium Amici dei Bambini was successful in getting a large group of children to Italy. Not by total coincidence, Italy held at that time the Presidency of the European Union.
Roelie:
In that role, Italy put pressure on the Romanian Prime Minister to get exceptions on the adoption stop. On the moratorium. Silvio Berlusconi got then, end December, the green light for 105 exceptions. 105 children who were sent to Italy.
When we heard about that, especially when Commissioner Verheugen heard about it, he was extraordinary angry. And he told the Romanian Prime Minister, Nastase, we don’t continue like this. If there will be more exceptions, then you cannot be a Member of the European Union. And then Romania stopped adoptions completely.
But that was not all. Also countries outside Europe had people who were active to get Romanian adoptions.
The US lobbied also aggressively in Brussels.
Member of the European Parliament, Ana Gomes:
At that time I was even lobbied by an American congressman who came to complain about one of his rich constituents who was expecting a child that would not come from Romania because of the moratorium.
I went to Romania, and together with the Romanian authorities, saw that the child was fantastically integrated in a Romanian family who adopted her.
Roelie:
For months I was, first twice per week and afterwards every day – even twice per day, followed by young men who looked identical. They made intimidating gestures towards me, as if they would get a gun out of their pocket, looking very unfriendly. They stood for hours in front of my window. Police came often. But… told me to be careful and not to take any actions myself.
The threats towards Roelie Post were a number of strange, unexplainable happenings.
Roelie:
It is a range of weird things, being followed… at a certain moment I and others who worked with me had all car problems – break-ins, windows broken, my car was stolen. Also a break-in in my house, and the office which we had in the basement.
She filed complaints about the threats with the Belgian police. The spokesperson of the Police in Brussels confirms to us that there is indeed a file “Roelie Post”, and that the Police advised her to be on guard.
Roelie:
Well, with this kind of almost mafia-like threats nobody leaves a name. The Police told me at the time that I not only should note down the dates and threats, but also note down what I was doing that day and what happened at work. And then one saw very quickly a pattern. That as soon as there were important happenings, or if I would speak in public – something would happen.
The atmosphere become very frightening for Roelie. And she gets no support from her employer, the European Commission.
Roelie:
The local Brussels Police told me at a certain moment, listen… this is serious. You have to take it seriously. But we cannot do much for you, as long as the European Commission does not come with you here at the Police station.
Hélène:
Why would the European Commission need to come with you to file a complaint?
Roelie:
Because, the European Commission is of course the most powerful organisation of Europe and the Brussels Police will not go against the European Commission. Or investigate things surrounding their staff, if the European Commission does not ask that. And I was always alone.
