Ariha Shah is the daughter of an Indian couple. German authorities separated her from her parents on September 23, 2021, when she was only 7 months old. She was sent to foster care in Germany by Jugendamt, a German children’s services center, after doctors reported her for alleged sexual assault.
Wiki/Biography
Ariha Shah was born in Berlin, Germany, in February 2021 (2 years old; as of 2023). Her parents moved to Berlin, Germany in 2018 from Gujarat.
appearance
Eye color: black
Hair color: black
family
Ariha Shah belonged to a Gujarati Jain family.
Parents and siblings
Ariha Shah’s father Bhavesh Shah is a software engineer. Her mother’s name is Dara Shah.
Aliha Shah and her parents
What happened to baby Aliha?
In September 2021, Ariha was only seven months old, and her grandparents came to her home to visit their beloved grandson. Unfortunately, while Ariha was in the care of her grandmother, an accidental injury occurred that affected her external genital area. Aliha’s parents were shocked to find blood on her diaper and immediately sought medical attention. Doctors provided treatment and assured Ariha’s parents of her health. However, when Aliha was taken to the hospital for follow-up, doctors informed authorities that Aliha’s parents had allegedly “sexually assaulted” her. Shortly after German Children’s Services arrived at the hospital, Aliha was placed in their care, leading to the launch of an investigation into allegations of child abuse by her parents.
Legal battle for custody of Aliha
In response to the situation, the Youth Council took swift and decisive action by placing the child in foster care and granting her parents limited visitation rights once every two weeks. Meanwhile, authorities filed a child sexual abuse case against the parents and launched an investigation. However, the assault charges were ultimately dismissed and the parents were instead charged with negligence. Nonetheless, in February 2022, the case against the parents was closed without any formal charges being brought against them. Despite this, the children were not reunited with their parents. Instead, the Youth Council filed a civil custody lawsuit seeking to terminate parental rights and obtain permanent custody of the children. Her parents have since become embroiled in a legal battle, fighting for custody of their children in German courts. In 2022, a court-appointed psychologist conducted a detailed assessment of the parents’ mental health. The assessment concluded that it would be best for the child to live with one of the parents in a special facility, with regular visits from the other parent. However, this arrangement was not feasible due to practical reasons such as the imminent expiration of Bhavesh’s visa. Unfortunately, even before the court ruled on the matter, the Youth Council decided to move Ariha to a facility specifically designed for children with special needs, where she currently lives.
Repatriation of baby Aliha
The Exchange Ministry is also making several efforts to bring Aliha back to India. In 2022, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi issued a statement that read as follows:
We were dismayed to learn of the sudden transfer of this child from her current foster parents to a specialized foster care placement… We would like to reiterate that Aliha Shah is an Indian national and her nationality and socio-cultural background are the most important determining factors . She will be fostered there. “
He further said,
We have been asking Germany to send the children back to India. The embassy has repeatedly asked German authorities to ensure that Aliha’s ties to her cultural, religious and linguistic background are not compromised and has sought consular access to the child as well as cultural immersion at the Indian Cultural Center in Berlin. “
In 2023, 59 MPs representing 19 political parties jointly wrote a letter, an extraordinary show of cooperation between politicians from different parties. The letter was written to Philippe Ackermann, the German ambassador in New Delhi, to request his assistance in ensuring the safe return of baby girl Ariha Shah, who has been living in a foster home in Berlin for more than 20 months. The congressmen earnestly requested Ambassador Ackerman to do everything in his power to bring Aliha back to India as soon as possible. The letter stated,
India takes good care of its children. We ask you to consider how you would feel if a German baby were forcibly placed in an Indian foster care facility. The Indian government has formally requested the German government to return the child to a Jain foster home in India under the supervision of Indian child welfare authorities. “
Signatories of the joint letter include prominent members of parliament from various political parties. These include Adil Ranjan Chaudhry and Shashi Tharoor of the Congress, Hema Malini and Maneka Gandhi of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Kanimozhi of the DMK, Su Priya Sule, TMC’s Mahua Moitra, Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav, Samajwadi Party’s Manoj Jai from RJD, AAP’s Sanjay Singh, CPM’s Elamaran Kareem and John Brittas, Akali Dal’s Harsimrat Kaur Badal, BSP’s KunwarDanish Ali, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Priyanka Chaturvedi, CPI’s Binoy Viswam and Farooq Abdullah from the National Conference.
People organize protests in support of Aliha Shah’s return to India
Facts/Trivia
- Although her family followed a strict vegetarian diet, Aliha was fed non-vegetarian food in her foster home.
- Aliha Shah’s case bears striking similarities to that of Sagarika Chakraborty. As early as 2011, Norwegian authorities revoked custody of her two children on the grounds of “inappropriate parenting.” Hindi film Madam Chatterjee Vs Norway (2023) starring Rani Mukerji was inspired by Chakraborty’s uphill battle to reunite with her children.
Lady Chatterjee vs Norway
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education