Belarusian woman brought daughter with a bruise to a Polish kindergarten. The child was soon taken from the family
And the woman was forbidden from approaching her daughter for two weeks.
Alina brought her three-year-old daughter Lizaveta (names changed) to a Polish kindergarten with a bruise under her eye and explained that she accidentally hit the child during play. A few hours later, the woman was called to the police. By that time, the girl had already been taken from the kindergarten. Later, the child was placed in a foster family, and Alina was forbidden from approaching her daughter for two weeks. Three weeks later, the court allowed the girl to return home, but the case is not yet closed. Alina shared her story with Most.
In early March 2026, the mother and daughter were playing at home. According to Alina, during the game, she accidentally brushed her daughter with the leather end of a strap. It hit near the eye, and the girl was left with a bruise. When the woman brought Lizaveta to the kindergarten, she herself showed the bruise to the staff and explained what had happened. Alina says that the girl was accepted as usual and was assured that everything was fine.
— I went about my business. Two and a half hours later, the police called me and invited me for questioning.
At the station, Alina learned that during that time, the child had already been examined by a doctor, and the girl had been taken away. According to the woman, before this, the services had no similar complaints about how she treated Lizaveta, or reports of violence against her daughter.
Elder daughter managed to see her sister
After what happened, the "Blue Card" procedure was launched against the family. This is a tool used in Poland to combat domestic violence. However, the matter did not end there. Lizaveta was taken from the family, and the police separately forbade Alina from approaching her daughter closer than 50 meters and contacting her for 14 days.
The document, which Most reviewed, states that, according to police assessment, the woman's behavior posed a threat to the child's life or health. It refers to a blow with the end of a trouser belt to the left eye.
— I couldn't call my child to talk to her.
Initially, the girl was placed in an institution for children, and then transferred to a temporary foster family. Alina says that she tried to find out herself where her daughter was and what was happening to her.
The next day, Alina's elder daughter was able to see Lizaveta: the ban on meetings did not apply to her.
— My daughter is [always] so open, but she was so withdrawn. As if she was playing some role.
"I submitted applications almost every other day"
After Lizaveta was taken, Alina began to seek the opportunity to see her daughter and bring her home. She appealed to the court and cooperated with social services.
The family was assigned a family assistant, and later a court curator. The assistant is to assess the family situation, draw up a work plan with them, and, if necessary, help, for example, with court appeals or finding specialists. The court curator monitors the situation on behalf of the court: they can come home without warning, talk to family members, and gather information from people in their circle.
— I submitted applications almost every other day. I reminded them of my rights and that my applications should be considered the same as those of the other party.
When the two-week contact ban ended, Alina was able to meet Lizaveta for the first time. A week later, a court hearing took place. The court heard representatives of the temporary foster family where the girl was staying. According to Alina, they said that Lizaveta was open and communicative and did not give the impression of a child who was afraid of her mother. The court ruled to return the child home and for the curator to supervise the fulfillment of parental duties.
Decided to leave
After returning home, the girl went to a child psychologist once every two weeks. The woman claims that the specialists who observed the family positively assessed the situation and did not consider Lizaveta's presence at home dangerous.
Nevertheless, in August, the prosecutor's office appealed the girl's return home, and the court decided to place her in a foster family. According to Alina, a criminal case is also being pursued against her due to alleged child abuse. The woman claims that the police told her about the absence of grounds to continue the case and the possibility of its closure.
A psychological examination was also ordered to assess the mother-daughter relationship.
— If it is confirmed that the bond is strong, that the child is not afraid of me but loves me, based on this, the court will decide what to do with the case next.
Alina has several theories as to why her family attracted such close attention from the guardianship authorities. She suspected a biased attitude towards her as a foreigner in a small town where there are few migrants. Or that the child might have interested another family. But she has no confirmation of these theories.
After Lizaveta returned home, an anonymous complaint was also filed against Alina due to a video with her daughter published online. According to the woman, it indicated her name, surname, car details, and place of residence. She also perceives this episode as a continuation of pressure.
After the court issued a second order in August to place Lizaveta in a foster family, Alina decided to leave Poland soon with her child, without waiting for the proceedings to end.
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