Protests Erupt as Greenlandic Mother’s Newborn Is Taken After Banned Parenting Tests – What’s Behind the Controversy?

An 18-year-old Greenlandic handball player Ivana Nikoline Bronlund had her daughter taken away just one hour after birth in Hvidovre, near Copenhagen. Despite a new law banning psychometric “parenting competence”(FKU) tests for people with Greenlandic backgrounds, authorities still relied on the test, which in turn sparked huge outrage, according to a report published by The Guardian on Saturday.

Bronlund, born in Nuuk to Greenlandic parents, has only seen her daughter once for just one hour, the report said, adding that during the visit, she wasn’t even allowed to change her baby’s nappy or comfort her.

Government Scramble Over Test Ban

Meanwhile, Danish social affairs minister Sophie Haestorp Andersen has sought explanation from the local municipality over the reported decision, reminding that the FKU tests “should not be used in placement cases involving families with a Greenlandic background,” Reuters reported. 

Authorities defended their actions by citing Bronlund’s early trauma, reportedly claiming that she was abused by her adoptive father. However, they also reportedly questioned her Greenlandic identity as grounds for applying the banned test.

Community Outrage and Protest Plans

The case has triggered protests across Greenland and planned demonstrations in Nuuk, Copenhagen, Reykjavík and Belfast, with advocates saying that it reflects prevalent bias in the country’s welfare system.

Campaigner Dida Pipaluk Jensen, organising an Iceland demonstration, called the treatment “horrifying,” while reflecting on the “injustice” of penalising Bronlund for past trauma.

Bronlund’s adoptive mother, Gitte, who is a half-Greenlandic resident of Denmark, told the Guardian, “It feels like you are not allowed to have a trauma if you are going to be a mum.”

Calls for Systemic Reform

Inuit support group Foreningen MAPI founder Laila Bertelsen wrote to the minister, urging political intervention and immediate action.

Minister Haestorp Andersen, while preparing for a visit to Greenland, emphasised that any case involving Greenlandic families must involve VISO, a specialised advisory unit.

Municipality Admits Process Flaws

Anya Krogh Manghezi, Children’s Director at Hoje-Taastrup municipality, spoke on the “missteps”, reportedly saying, “We…must acknowledge that we should have repeated the contact,” and adding that they are now coordinating with VISO to ensure legal safeguards and the “best possible solution” for the family.