I wasn't offended, just thought that her experience must have been limited to one or two places. The state of facilities for children without families is horrifying by any standard, so if she worked in or with one, I understand her reaction very well. Children with families, however, don't live in abject poverty, on…

Oh and we have abortion on demand and according to some relatively recent statistics, that's the most widespread birth control method. The problem is there isn't and hasn't ever been systematic sex education here, so we don't have a culture of sexual literacy the way western countries do. People know about condoms,…

Two of my cousins have Down syndrome. One of them is p high functioning- She holds a job bagging groceries, has a child. She's sweet and very loving, but again, high functioning.

I am so with you on that one. I grew up around Roma people and while the outside conditions can leave a lot to be desired, most of them were very house or caravan proud. The women just didn't stop cleaning the living quarters, day in, day out.

She was living in a house with 13 other children, I doubt this is what her room looks like, she probably sleeps on the floor. This room was made to look like this AFTER she was taken away. It's fairly obvious it was cleaned up and sanitized to try to prove a point to authorities.

Yeah, these comments are beyond gross, I don't know why people are jumping to the conclusion this four-year-old child was prostituted when there was zero signs of molestation in the investigation. It's more likely they cleaned up this room (which all the kids were jammed in) and presented it as hers to fit her "she's…

From what I've heard in reports from people who knew the family, all the kids were jammed together in one filthy room and this photo was an attempt to make her look well-cared-for.

I find it really repulsive that people's first thought is that the appearance of the room is evidence that this child was being prostituted.

Reports say no signs of physical violence on her, including sexual.

Where are you getting this from? Have you read anything to suggest it? Even if we assume she was being used for crime, the more likely crime is begging, statistically. I have no idea where you got that prostitution vision from. Especially since reports say there were no signs of physical violence on her body, sexual…

This, and the way racism toward Roma people seems to be considered widely acceptable in Europe because "the stereotypes are true", reeeeally reminds me of the way white people view Native people where I live.

THIS IS TRUE. I am very mixed and both of my parents had MUCH darker coloring than mine. Hello random pale blue face with bright red cheeks genes! I can't tell you how much it hurt to even have schoolmates question whether my parents were really mine.

Speaking as someone who's mentally handicapped aunt did marry and have kids, yes. There's a pretty broad spectrum when you're discussing the developmentally disabled, and quite a few of them are capable of knowing their own minds and comprehending what they are agreeing to in a marriage, even if they're farther out…

I'm gonna guess that what she means is that they are expecting her to be fully-functional and self-sufficient, while she may not actually be capable. She may be, but I don't know. But I mean, I don't really feel like I'm those things myself; having kids? Terrifying! If this woman is incapable of taking care of a…

I think this is a really interesting reflection of minority groups internalizing racism. The parents are Roma, they have other children who appear ethnically Roma, but they give preferential treatment to the little blonde girl.

Regarding 'Missing White Woman Syndrome,' I wonder if blonde haired blue eyed children are more at risk for child trafficking because of the way society deifies (blonde angel) those traits ie I wonder if they sell for more money than other kids. :(

As an actual Roma person I'm going to chime in and say a lot of the people saying stuff about "nomadic lifestyles" or "traveler culture" are talking out of their asses, as Romani people are mostly settled now, and are not culturally nomadic- Romani were forced to be nomadic due to racism, slavery, and historic "gypsy…

The other kids were probably taken/given up by brown families, so they don't matter, duh.

Thanks for this post Lindy. Just do a google search for "Roma parents" or "Roma/blonde" and the headlines about the "blonde angel" and the "parents worldwide" who are hoping she is theirs are really striking.

For the record, while it wasn't the case here, blond, blue-eyed, fair-skinned children can be born to darker-skinned, dark-eyed, dark-haired people, if both parents carry the necessary recessive genes.