Leo Perez Durand

Marcelo was failed by the administration, the justice system
and according to him, even by his own mother

NOTIFICATION:

The Video with the testimonial of Marcelo is removed from all channels. Why? The DGAIA made alligations against Leonor Pérez Durand, journalist independent, is always very strict and sound on what she is publishing that what she is writing it is based on facts. We know that the thruth for a lot of those so called Child Protection Services, which are basicly just money making companies nothing more and nothing less, are not keen on getting their name in the open. We all have our freedom of speech it is a basic Human Right. The main argument is that we managed the full name of the boy and they have the guardianship and therefore are in a lawfull position to demand the removal or those video's. What they forget is that they are illigaly in poscion of this guardianship.

Further:
The videos are not visible anymore because the Catalan administration has demanded that they be removed after seeing evidence of abuse. That is being committed against a minor against whom they have a.n open guardianship file that should have been closed two years ago due to administrative silence.

And while maintaining that guardianship, the child was being medicated for illnesses and conditions that are not listed in his medical record and when he was being reconnected with his stepfather, whom he had been with for 3 years: complaint for alleged sexual abuse.

We will keep you posted about the Spanish Boy and his family who are doing everything they can to keep him safe and healthy.

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Marcelo is a child who was taken under the guardianship of DGAIA and admitted to a residential centre in 2022. He tells us in his own words and without a "scripted" speech, as some people are claiming, part of what his life has been like so far and what he wants and hopes for. The image of the child has been completely protected because he is a minor. I have spoken to him myself by video call and he did not read any papers or have anyone directing his speech.

But let's do a little history based on the documents in the file to which I have had access:
In 2016, a few months after he was born, the Catalan administration opened a risk file on Marcelo. His father, who at that time had an intellectual disability, reported mistreatment by the child's mother towards him and towards the child himself. After the complaint, the mother left the house taking the child with her. The paternal grandparents had to hire a private detective to find him, even though the child was already under the guardianship of the administration.

After a trial for custody of the child, the mother was given custody and the father was given visits and alimony; during one of these visits, the child said that he had been abused by his mother's new partner, which caused DGAIA to take over the guardianship of the child, giving custody to the paternal grandparents; protective measures were issued against the mother and her partner, which were appealed. The mother managed to have supervised visits with the child at a meeting point. During one of these visits, the mother recorded a video of the child and told him that it was for her partner. The child told his grandmother about it, who complained to the administration and the child was admitted to a residential center, alleging that the grandmother was troublesome.

In 2022, the father's total disability was reformed, so that he no longer needed the guardianship of his parents, but simply support for paperwork. DGAIA was aware of this because it informed the ombudsman in a letter. The father's defense also informed him, but the administration did not reform the child's status, despite the fact that there are no complaints of any kind against the father. In May of this year, the father's defense reminded DGAIA of his change of situation and DGAIA did not respond either. Therefore, on August 22 and due to administrative silence, the father picked up the child from the center where he was. This occurred after DGAIA was informed in writing on Monday, August 12, of the father's claims.

It is necessary to mention that the complaint for child abuse was provisionally filed, because on the day of the hearing they did not allow the grandparents' private defense to appear, since being a child already under guardianship, it was the administration, through the prosecutor's office, who had to exercise his defense. And this happened, despite the report from Barnahus, the service for the care of minors who are victims of sexual crimes, which corroborates what the child said and, in addition, reveals physical and psychological abuse by the mother and stepfather; and despite a court order that assures that the case will very probably end in a conviction.

It is also necessary to mention that according to the child's file, he does not have any diagnosed illness or condition, however, as we hear in the video, he himself explains that at the center he was medicated, "always", in his words, with Risperidone, an antipsychotic that according to the Spanish Association of Pediatrics should be administered for a short period, 6 weeks, he also says that they give him Rubifen, a medication used for attention deficit.

Marcelo's life has not been easy and the worst thing is that there are thousands of girls and boys like him, for whom administrative neglect has been determined without the need for a judge to issue any resolution. According to official figures, 60% of guardianships are "ex-legal", that is, they have been dictated by the administration and in many cases when there is a court ruling that frees mothers and fathers.

from the reasons or accusations that caused their children to be taken from them, the administration does not return the minors immediately, even more so in cases of adoption, where several years have passed until the parents or relatives win and it is declared that the process was not suitable; mothers, fathers and grandparents must settle for simple supervised visits with their children.

Behind the child and adolescent protection system in Spain and Europe, a lot of money moves around; for each child under the guardianship of the administration, it receives between €3,000 and €9,000 per month for the care and maintenance of each minor, the amount varies depending on the needs of each ward. Children and adolescents should be with their families, except in cases of mistreatment, sexual abuse or any type of exploitation, and the different care services created for the well-being of families should serve to accompany and help.

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Article wriiten and published by Leonor Pérez-Durand Journalist Spain