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Sunday, 13 October 2013

Adoption in Greece - only the adoptee can search for biological family

I'm now back from my trip to Greece and have to play the waiting game... Greek Law does not allow birth parents to search.  No matter how much I want to contact my son directly...I must try to remain within the constraints of Greek Law...OK, not living in Greece I could use the excuse that I didn't know...but as far as I know ignorance is not a defence in any country.

You see my hands are tied by the fact that as most of the European countries, Greece all adoptions are closed adoptions.  This means that my son is a full member of his adoptive family (Greek Law, Article 1561, Legal Law 2447/96).  He is allowed to learn from his adoptive parents about the adoption but any information about me could only be given to him after he turned 18 years old.

My son's rights under Greek Law Article 1559, Legal Law 2471/96, is that he has, after his coming of age, the right to be completely informed by his adoptive parents and from every qualified authority about the records of his biological parents.  It ONLY gives the adoptee the right to search, I as a birth mother cannot search (technically) nor can I contact with my son directly.

In my case, there are a little glimmer of hope..my son might know how I am and sitting on the fence as to whether or not to contact me.  Hence the picture beneath, it is my cover photo on FB and just simply states that Greek Law does not allow me to contact him...but that I want him to know how I am if he wants any medical information and answers to any questions he might have.


Still, I' very lucky...I know how he is...I been close enough to him to hug him...I have seen how beautiful (sorry handsome) he is...it gives me some peace...of course, until I one day can give him that hug and tell him how beautiful/handsome he is I will never get total peace.  If he does not want to have any relationship with me I can live with that...as long as he knows that I did do whatever I could to contact him.

Meanwhile, if I can encourage any Greek adoptee or adoptees of Greek origin to contact http://www.roots-research-center.gr to assist them in their search.  (Or indeed if any of you would like to donate to a worthwhile cause please do so).




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