Mother’s fight for custody of children in Helsingør, Denmark amid communication barriers

Oleksandra’s apartment is filled with children’s toys—doll strollers, toy cars, coloring books, and stuffed animals—yet there are no children to play with them. “My children are my life. When they were taken away, it felt like my life was ripped away,” she says, holding her daughter’s teddy bear. She reflects on the difficulties she faced during a process in Helsingør Municipality, where communication often relied on Google Translate, leading to significant misunderstandings regarding parenting and Ukrainian culture.

Her situation escalated when her children were forcibly removed from her care. Oleksandra, who shares only her first name for the sake of her children, recalls that at times she had a translator, but many interactions occurred solely through translation tools. This caused confusion and made her feel unheard during the proceedings.

Following the removal of the children, Oleksandra wondered if the outcome might have been different with clearer communication. She believes the municipality mishandled her case. In response, the municipality stated it acted appropriately and provided substantial support to the family.

As a single mother fleeing conflict in eastern Ukraine, Oleksandra found herself in a grueling evaluation process concerning her parenting abilities, which included constant home visits from consultants. This ongoing scrutiny was compounded by inconsistent translations, resulting in substantial stress and misunderstandings.

Presently, Oleksandra travels seven hours monthly to see her children, experiencing pain with every goodbye and confusion regarding the legal processes affecting her family. Her only wish is for her children to return to her care.