‘The reaction of the court was disproportionate’

Having been found by the police at home, alone in her cot and smelling of urine, a young girl has been taken away from her Latvian mother.

A family court and the Court of Appeal decided that the young Latvian citizen should be put up for adoption here in the UK.

The mother, who still lives in this country, is calling it a forced adoption - and says the case should be decided back in Latvia.

The mother has the support of the Latvian president and members of parliament, including Igor Pimenov, who spoke to the programme.

It is necessary to safeguard the rights of citizens, their ethnic identity and their cultural heritage, the Latvian MP told the Today programme.

Asked if the situation would be different were the child forcibly adopted by a Latvian, Mr Pimenov replied ‘it would be better’.

Mr Pimenov challenged the assertion that the mother neglected her child, stating 'I do not agree'.

'She made a mistake', he said.

‘The reaction of social services and the court was disproportionate’, Mr Pimenov said.