Di fatto, cio’ che viene spesso limitata nei diversi paesi europei non è l’autorità/responsabilità genitoriale di uno dei genitori, ma l’esercizio della stessa. La differenza è sottile, ma fondamentale.

Inoltre le parole per indicare, affidamento, autorità genitoriale, e responsabilità genitoriale, quando sono tradotte nelle altre lingue europee, non hanno significato legale univoco. Cio’ crea molta confusione.

Una armonizzazione a livello europeo è urgente, poiché oggi 8 milioni di cittadini europei risiedono in uno Stato membro che non è il loro, e i minori con due, tre o piu’ lingue e nazionailità sono sempre di piu’.

Circa la situazione nei Paesi Bassi, che conosco bene, posso scrivere quanto segue. Lo scrivo in inglese, affinchè anche chi giunga a questa pagina e non conosca l’italiano, possa leggere e capire.

An estimated total number of 60.000 children – due to breaking relationships – are experiencing the separation of their parents in the Netherlands every year. Among these, 10.000 are placed every year in ‘ondertoezichtstelling’ by Jeugdzorg, and basically the decision making powers of their biological families is limited. You read well: ten thousands per year.

In the Netherlands, from a total of 3.2 million children between the ages of 0 and 18 years old, an estimated 1 million children have already experienced the separation of their parents. It is now estimated that 1/3 of all Dutch children are from broken families.

Most of these Dutch children (an estimated 85% to 90%, i.e. 850.000 to 900.000 children) grow up in mother-only custody, in single-parent mother-headed families, with their fathers living elsewhere.

Measured one year from the time of separation, an estimated 45% of these Dutch children of have lost all contacts with their fathers and are growing up completely fatherless in mother-headed single-parent-families or patchwork stepfamilies.

Another 45% of these Dutch children are estimated to grow up with their mother while their fathers are being marginalised and the children have only minimal and restricted contact with their fathers, one weekend every two weeks and some extra time during school holidays.

This results in a situation in the Netherlands where an estimated 500.000 Dutch children grow up completely fatherless (15% of all Dutch children), while another 500.000 Dutch children grow up with marginalised fathers (another 15% of all Dutch children).

So, 30% of children are left fatherless or with marginalized fathers after parental
separation: one million minors, today.