Furdui Case: The Jugendamt Prisoners (III) – Sina Böhling, Chief of the Jugendamt Heidekreis, and the great cover-up of the Walsrode

At the beginning of the investigation into the Furdui family’s case in Germany, the Romanian Tribune started from the premise of the good faith of the Walsrode authorities and especially of Mrs. Sina Böhling, Chief of Jugendamt Heidekreis, the official responsible for overseeing the actions of Jugendamt employees who intervened in separating the 7 siblings from their parents and from each other. Our expectation was quickly ruined.

• Jugendamt Heidekreis officials pretend not to know English

• Sina Böhling assumes no responsibility at all for the abuse of subordinate employees

• Unprecedented cover-up

READ ALSO: EXCLUSIVE | The Furdui Case: The Jugendamt Prisoners (I)

READ ALSO: EXCLUSIVE | Furdui Case: The Jugendamt Prisoners (II) – The German Government’s repeated abuses of power and human rights violations, seven siblings illegally abducted and separated

The Romanian Tribune is not investigating for the first time such a case of abuse against a family that has fallen victim to a child protection system. We remind you of: Barnevernet vs the Bodnariu family in Norway. The abuses committed by the Jugendamt of Germany are the abuses committed by the Barnevernet of Norway – six years later – the same abuses for which Norway has been convicted more than 20 times by the European Court of Human Rights.

Romanian Tribune requested interviews with the local authorities

In our journalistic effort to better comprehend the situation from the perspective of the local authorities, on January 25, 2022, the Romanian Tribune sent a request for an “in-person” interview to the local authorities:

• Helma Spöring – Mayor of Walsrode;
• Oliver Schulze – Chief Councilor of Heidekreis District;
• Sina Böhling – Chief of the Jugidamt in the Heidekreis District;
• Walsrode Police;
• to the principals of the schools where Furdui’s children study
• and to two local journalists who wrote about Furdui’s case.

The refusal of an interview, especially one in person, in Walsrode, was prompt, followed by a referral to Mrs. Sina Böhling, who was attributed the sole authority to assume public responsibility in the case of Furdui. Mrs. Böhling was the only one who – at least partially – has given our request for an interview some consideration.

In Part I, II and PART III of the report resulting from this investigation, of three geographical locations constantly appear: Walsrode, Bad Fallingbostel and Heidekreis; their logic in the case equation is simple:

a) Walsrode is the city of residence of the Furdui family and the location of the court responsible for the case;

b) Bad Fallingbostel is the capital of the Heidekreis District, the city where the local Jugendamt agency is located;

c) Heidekreis is a district in Lower Saxony to which the two cities belong

We remind you that Furdui’s case is about 7 siblings, with ages between 1 and 16, who in April 2021 were taken away without prior notice by the Jugendamt Bad Fallingbostel, then separated from each other and placed in children’s homes that are dangerous for their safety – a drama that drags on for over ten months.

Linguistic baffle and lack of professionalism

The Chicago Romanian Tribune’s requests for interviews were sent in English, for simple reasons. The answers came in German, a relatively unimportant detail, although the communication was in English-German at all times.

Given that Mrs. Böhling has indicated her readiness for a written interview rather than “in-person” through the Heidekreis press office, the Romanian Tribune immediately sent her a list of questions pertinent to the Furdui case, in English.

Preparing to present as soon as possible the point of view of the Jugendamt Heidekreis officials to the Romanian-American community in the United States (and not only) who mobilized itself in numerous protests in support of the Furdui family, the office of Ms. Böhling found it appropriate to resort to linguistic baffle – “In order to be able to answer your questions, please send them in German”, was the answer we received after a few days. We complied without and sent the questions in German the next day.

Does anyone really believe that it is possible, however, that the Jugendamt Heidekreis may not have at least an employee who has a good command of English, especially when the agency is involved in such a sensitive international case? Or is it a procrastination, an essential element so customary of the Jugendamt’s actions?

The head of the Jungendamt does not take responsibility for the abuses of the institution she runs

We sent Mrs. Böhling a list of questions about her experience in social work, what are some of the achievements she had as head of the Jugendamt, asking her for a number of views on the Furdui family case. The following are Jugendamt Heidekreis’s replies as the official responsible for this case.

1. Who is Sina Böhling.

Ms. Böhling is 36 years old and has held the position of the Head of the Jugendamt since 2019, being the youngest head of department in the district’s administration, only 33 years old at the time of her appointment. Böhling has been working for Heidekreis since 2010, initially as a district social worker in the General Social Service (ASD), then in 2013 she moved on to youth welfare planning.

Originally from Neuenkirchen, Mrs. Böhling studied in Oldenburg, Osnabrück and Hamburg, earning a master’s degree in “social work”. Among the attributions of the position she holds we mention: the responsible management of the department’s 125 employees and six departments; innovative control of strategic and operational planning for the well-being of children and young people; developing the well-being of children and young people in Heidekreis on the basis of economic and professional aspects; extensive knowledge in the field of child protection; a strong sense of responsibility; decision-making and leadership skills.

We wanted to get to know Mrs Böhling and understand her expertise in this position, but the next line of questions was met with a ridiculous answer.

2. Before becoming the Head of the Jugendamt Heidekreis, you were a district social worker. In order for us to better understand your experience in the matter, could you tell us how many cases did you work on?

Sina Böhling: I cannot answer about my work and activity for reasons of personal data protection.

3. How many times did you intervene to remove the children from their families? Please provide us with a record of your previous activity.

Sina Böhling: I cannot answer about my work and activity for reasons of personal data protection.

4. You have been appointed to your current position as the youngest Head of the Jugendamt Heidekreis. What was the state of the agency before taking office and what is it now?

Sina Böhling: I cannot answer about my work and activity for reasons of personal data protection.

5. What are some your most noted accomplishments in the development of Jugendamt?

Sina Böhling: I cannot answer about my work and activity for reasons of personal data protection.

6. Mrs. Böhling, you’re in charge of about 125 employees. What steps have you taken to ensure that all your employees comply with the agency’s procedures and German and international laws?

Sina Böhling: I cannot answer about my work and activity for reasons of personal data protection.

7. How many Jugendamt employees have been disciplined, either fired or admonished for breaking agency’s procedures or German and international laws since taking the office?

Sina Böhling: I cannot answer about my work and activity for reasons of personal data protection.

We must admit that we were surprised by the acute lack of transparency shown by Mrs. Böhling and the Jugendamt in the exercise of public office, in the service of German citizens and especially by the immense power over families and children in Heidekreis. Her work should be assumed publicly, a professional factor of confidence for the citizens of the Heidekreis District and of major importance in the management of a particularly dramatic case. Instead, Mrs. Böhling invents various personal data protections.

8. How many cases have been opened under your leadership since taking office and how many children have been removed from their families? How many children have been returned to the family?

Sina Böhling: I cannot answer this question without violating the rules on the protection of personal data.

The next line of questions, the most important, is about the Furdui family and the actions of the Jugendamt Bad Fallingbostel.

Mrs. Böhling stubbornly refuses to answer questions, citing confidentiality of data, ongoing legal proceedings, child protection, while her office provides confidential information from the file to the local media, namely the Walsroder Zeitung, according to the statement made by journalist Rolf Hillmann in a January 7, 2022 article: “However, the court files, some of which are available to WZ and in which procedural experts are called upon to express their views, speak a completely different language. In short, and without going into details, it is said that there are consistent reports from the six older siblings about repeated corporal punishment over a long period of time.” (Source: https://www.wz-net.de/lokales/jugendamt-vermutet-kindeswohlgefhrdung_10_112116458-21-.html).

If she wants, legally, Mrs.  Sina Böhling and the Jugendamt employees can immediately bring an end to the legal proceedings by summoning the court and waiving any charges against the Furdui family or by a correct assessment of the Furdui family.

9. Do you truly consider that there was no abuse perpetrated by Jugendamt in this case?

10. What actions have you taken to investigate the actions of your employees following allegations such as lack of a thorough social investigation prior to the intervention, lack of communication with parents, separation of children from parents and each other, lack of documents in Romanian, lack of documents necessary to prepare family defense, procrastination procedures, undue delay in the psychological evaluation of the family, the dangerous conditions in which the children were placed in homes, ignoring the desire of the children to be left at home?

11. How many times have Jugendamt employees met with family to really get to know the family and find a solution to this case?

12. Did the Jugendamt take cultural differences into account when intervening in the Furdui family? What steps has the Jugendamt taken to integrate the Furdui family into German culture?

13. Have you personally investigated the conditions in which Furdui’s children live in the children’s homes where you placed them?

14. On Christmas, the Furdui family got a Christmas greeting card from Jugendamt. Do you consider this to be professional, necessary, given the pressing situation in which the family is, or would you rather say this is insulting?

Sina Böhling: For data protection reasons, I cannot give an answer in individual cases.

15. Mrs. Böhling, will all due respect, do you have children? If so, what would you do if your family were in the same situation as the Furdui family?

16. Can you assure readers and the Furdui family that the agency’s assessments are not intended to justify Jugendamt’s actions and that the family will thus have a fair trial?

17. Are you willing to take the entire responsibility for the abuses, in our opinion, committed by the Jugendamt in the case of the Furdui family?

The response of the Jugendamt Heidekreis is the same empty, unbelievable echo: “I cannot answer in individual cases, for the Jugendamt decisions legal measures apply”. Thus, Ms. Böhling manages to violate a major requirement in her job description: “a strong sense of responsibility.” Is this the only violation of the code she was hired and trusted to uphold? Is Mrs. Böhling capable to lead that department or to have that discretionary power?

Unprecedented cover-up

International media cover and evidence of the Jugendamt’s abuse in this case led Heidekreis’s child protection officials, Mrs. Sina Böhling, to resort to desperate and increasingly abusive actions.

Furdui’s children do not have the security, welfare and protection of the Jugendamt as the agency presents itself, but on the contrary, they are harassed, intimidated, punished and ignored by people who claim to be their defenders.

Just this past week, on Thursday, February 17, contrary to any right of defense, the court met alone, without the knowledge of defense lawyers and parents, and withdrew all parental rights from the Furdui parents, granting full guardianship to the Jugendamt.

To better understand, the court in question is an administrative one and is part of the Jugendamt’s circle of influence; the lawyers appointed by the administrative court to represent Furdui’s children are a wing of the Jugendamt system, they are not financially and ethically independent; the evaluators and psychologists involved in welfare cases are also tentacles of the same Jugendamt power system.

Watch CBN investigation into Jugendamt abuse in Germany – VIDEO: Above the Law | JUGENDAMT Destroying Families (CBN)

Humanly, what chances can someone have in the face of such an institutional monster?

Noticing that they failed to separate Furdui’s children from their parents with ”kindness”, the Jugendamt plots with the court and takes full custody of them before the trial, which should have determined the outcome. The court’s decision raises a number of legal and ethical issues, something unprecedented even for lawyers specializing in children’s rights that the Romanian Tribune consulted.

In addition to the fact that the Furdui parents no longer have the right to any information about the condition, health, safety of their children, the Jugendamt may at any time order a ban on regular family and children’s meetings, of the siblings among themselves, even resorting to moving the children anywhere in Germany at unknown locations, Jugendamt now has absolute power over the lives of the 7 Furdui’s family children.

Becoming aware of the court’s decision of February 17 and tired of the last ten months in which she was completely ignored by the Jugendamt and the court when she repeatedly stated that she wanted to go home, Estera Furdui ran away from the shelter where she was placed as a sign of despair. Fortunately, she was found safe the next day. Esther still wants to go home. So do her brothers.

READ ALSO Unrealistic decision in the Furdui case! Esther has disappeared from the custody of the Jugendamt Bad Fallingbostel

Anticipating the next maneuvers of the Jugendamt, the extended family and the Furdui Initiative Team summon the local authorities, the Jugendamt officials to put an end to the actions of destroying the Furdui family.

“We summon the Jugendamt Bad Fallingbostel to stop taking revenge on the children and to put an end to this abuse against the Furdui Family,” the statement said on the supporting group’s Facebook page.

So what’s the easiest way to cover everything up? You resort to force, ignore the physical and mental trauma suffered by children in your care and throw them into the abyssal system from which they will never come out – this is the only way to ensure that the Jugendamt Heidekreis can assure itself that its abuses will never come to light.

READ ALSO: The Jugendamt Prisoners | Head of Jugendamt Heidekreis, Sina Böhling, in charge of the Furdui case, has resigned

The Romanian Tribune Editorial Board