Romanian police investigating case of 6-year-old boy allegedly sold in Germany

Authorities are looking into the case of a Romanian minor who was allegedly sold for RON 8,000 (EUR 1,600) and arrived in Germany with false documents.

Romanian authorities were notified by those in Germany regarding the case, but investigations are still ongoing. The minor is currently in the care of the German state.

The boy was reportedly sold by his parents, who live in Gorj County.

“These pieces of information are not certain. Given that there is a case being handled by DIICOT, initiated upon notification from DGASPC Gorj, which received a notice from the National Authority for Child Protection, which itself had received a request from the authorities in Germany to provide more data about a situation involving a Romanian child and his family in Romania. There are many speculations. We are waiting for the resolution of this case,” said family minister Natalia Intotero, cited by Digi24.

The minister also mentioned that she, along with psychologists, met the two minor siblings of the child who is now in Germany. One is a boy of two-and-a-half years old, while the other is an 8-year-old girl.

“I wanted to ensure that they are well cared for by the Romanian state authorities and that they will continue to receive psychological counseling. I contacted the president of the National Authority for Child Protection and requested an urgent trip to Germany to discuss the repatriation of the minor with the German authorities,” Natalia Intotero added.

The family minister said she learned about the case after being contacted by journalists. She added that the minor must return to Romania because he is a Romanian citizen.

The other two children of the family were recently taken into state care, as they were not receiving a proper upbringing.

“I want to make a call to the citizens. We have the emergency number for children – 119. If you report delicate situations involving minors in our country, please call this number, because the state institutions immediately intervene, check the health status of the children, and take action when they are not well cared for and take them under the protection of the Romanian state,” minister Intotero.

Representatives of Romania’s General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection, or DGASPC, said they found out about the case following a letter sent by the National Authority for Child Protection and Adoption, in April 2024. They visited the family’s home and determined that the minor in question was indeed not at home. The other two were immediately placed with professional foster parents.