Let's help Alexandra, the little girl who was sent to Russia

Fellow Portuguese,

We all know about the insane decision, that has sent little Alexandra, back to Russia, to that alcoholic mother. Probably now everything is lost, but hope is the only thing we have. The family from Barcelos who took care of her, are going to be on a TV show in Russia, to tell the Portuguese side of the story. So far, what we know is what we all saw on TV, her mother beating her in front of the cameras. If she does it while the cameras are on, what can she do while they're off?

Look at the video. The girl doesn't know a single word in Russian:

http://clix.visao.pt/familia-portuguesa-acusada-de-querer-vender-crianca-para-retirar-orgaos=f510082

Let's sign the petition to bring her back. The Russian Press is on our side

http://redegb.com/xaninhanossa

assinado!

I've signed it and not a moment too soon!

I cant imagine what sort of life she is going to have if left with that bitch!

Can I move this into the open forum please??

Ambersuz wrote:I've signed it and not a moment too soon!

I cant imagine what sort of life she is going to have if left with that bitch!

Can I move this into the open forum please??

Yes, please!!

No doubt this girl was sent to live among snakes. The only normal person at that house is the grandmother, everybody else is alcoholic!

But what disgusts me the most is knowing that the Russian embassy also lied to the Judge, saying the mother had good conditions in Russia to live with her. Well, I don't know to what they call good conditions, but what we know, is that there's no running water, no heating, she sleeps at the top of a deactivated oven and for now, she has clothes to dress because they're the ones she brought from Portugal. When all this is over, I really don't know.

Poor Alexandra! (or Sasha or Sandra for the Russians)

Here's the story:

"A child who was born in Northern Portugal to a Russian woman six years ago and who has been raised by a Portuguese family from the age of 18 months was last week ordered by Portuguese courts to be returned to her biological mother, who within days took the young girl to Russia to live with a family she had never met.

The past week, the case of six-year-old Alexandra Skilauri made headlines in most national newspapers and news programmes. Images of the girl screaming while been taken from her 'adoptive' family and handed over to her biological mother caused uproar due to the powerlessness of the Portuguese legal system.

At the biological mother's request Florinda Vieira and João Pinheiro, from Barcelos, had taken care of Alexandra since 18 months of age.

The couple allege her mother, Natália Zarubina, let her daughter sleep in a phonebox while she worked as a prostitute around the area of Braga market. They also said the child, who does not speak Russian, weighed just five kilos when they met her. (and I add she had flees, hematomas and signs of malnutrition)

At Natalia's request the couple took the toddler into their care and raised her for four and a half years, letting the mother visit whenever she wanted.

However, after legal procedures were instigated in 2008, last week the Guimarães Family Court ordered Alexandra to be returned to the permanent care of her biological mother.

The foster family argues Natalia does not have the conditions to properly care for her daughter, making referral to the woman's past, which reportedly involves prostitution and drugs.

Nevertheless the Portuguese court decided in favour of the mother, stating Alexandra was "never at risk or put in danger".

Upon arriving at the Social Security institute in Braga, where the handover took place on May 18th, Alexandra refused to leave the car, gripping onto her seatbelt and crying "I don't want to go".

Two days after she was returned to her mother Alexandra was taken to Russia to live with a family that she has never met. The Pinheiro family is helpless to take any form of action as the Portuguese judiciary can no longer intervene.

Early this week further anger was caused when images of Alexandra being smacked by her mother during her first days of her new life were broadcast on TV in Portugal and Russia. According to reports she was being smacked for "being spoiled" and "not speaking Russian".

Angrily telling the cameras that her Portuguese carers had "let her do anything", Natalia Zarubina repeatedly smacked the six-year-old who had been in her care for a matter of days.

Businessman João Pinheiro said he was "not surprised" by Natalia's reaction to the child's resistance to adapt, and said "it proves she is at risk with her mother, regardless of what the Court says, and she could yet be sold".

On the day of mother and daughter's departure to Russia, the Russian Embassy in Portugal issued a statement reaffirming Natalia Zarubina's ability to care for her daughter and accusing the couple from Barcelos of 'tricking' her, as she does not speak Portuguese.

According to an expert in Portuguese family law, the competency of one court to change a ruling made by another must be made by the court in the child's country of residence. Therefore in this case only a Russian court could overrule the decision made by the Portuguese court, which renders the Pinheiro family and Portuguese judiciary powerless.

Following the dramatic development of events the Portuguese couple were invited to make an appearance on a Russian prime-time chat show.

Journalist José Milhazes, Moscow correspondent for Portuguese channel SIC, described the programme as "very tabliody" and said he would advise the couple to "think carefully" about accepting the offer as they would be interviewed in front of a live audience that would "be on the mother's side".

However, on Wednesday the Russian embassy in Lisbon denied the couple visas to travel to Russia to be on the program."
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Here's a link to youtube, in Russian, where you can see the biological mother beating and pushing her (under the nose of the grandmother, who doesn't say a word) and the house she was sent to live: it has no runnning water, no heating, it has just a wooden toilet, where it's necessary to squeeze the nose and avoid sinking in the s*it (yeah, I know, this is the same country with a powerful army, making lots of money on natural gas and oil, closing the tap gas to Ukraine, but without caring about their own inhabitants - however, the problem here, is that the biological mother is nothing but a bitch, and the rest of the family is like a "snake Vodka family".

This is maddening

That poor little child should be taken back immediately.

I signed -hope the poor little girl finds comfort soon...

Poor little girl, she should be returned immediately...i hope all works out well for her.

tried to sign last night but it timed me out, couldn't get access to the link to sign, only the link? Anyone else have that problem?

Binky wrote:tried to sign last night but it timed me out, couldn't get access to the link to sign, only the link? Anyone else have that problem?

Here's the link direct to the petition.


http://www.gopetition.com/online/28077/sign.html

http://xaninha.forums-free.com/enviar-e-mail-a-oprah-winfrey-t27.html

Dear Oprah,

I watch your show for many years now and I have a true admiration for you and for your strength and sense of justice and fairness, especially when it comes to young children. I now reach out to you, because I don’t know what to do and feel absolutely shocked with something that has happen in my country, in Portugal. To make a long story short, a Portuguese Court decided to hand over a 6 year-old little girl, Alexandra Skilauri, to her biological Russian mother, when she had been living with a Portuguese family for 5 years. This family loved and raised her like a daughter and wanted to keep her, fighting for her in Justice. Even so, the girl was sent back to Russia with her biological mother, not knowing to speak the language, away from the people she used to call “mother” and “father”. Recently, we have watched some footage of the Russian mother beating this innocent and lovely girl, accusing her of having “no education”, “being spoiled” and showing no affection whatsoever. Tell me, how can this be right in anyway? All I ask is for you to do some research on this matter - there’s a lot of information online - analyze it and take it in consideration. I am sure it will touch your heart and you won’t be able to stay indifferent. Oprah, you are a powerful woman, people listen to you and respect your opinion. We can’t cross our arms and watch this happen… we have the obligation to defend our children best interests. I don’t know what can be done; all I know is that it is urgent.
Best regards,
Filipa

Por favor sintam-se à vontade para o utilizar, com ou sem alterações.
Força!

Unfortunatelly there is still an impass about the situation of this little girl, because it's impossible to un-do a Court decision, even worse after entering Russian territory.

The latest news say the Portuguese family and friends sent money to pay her needs for school and try to get in touch any time possible.

Xaninha, you're not forgotten!

What a harrowing tale. I do wonder why the little girl's biological mother wanted her back and it cannot be for the sake of the child's welfare. It is heartening, though, that there are people who care about this child.

Over 26,000 signatures.