Danish high court rules Greenlandic child removal was illegal
A Danish high court has ruled that the removal of a Greenlandic woman's newborn daughter was illegal, in a case that could affect other families separated under the same system.
Keira Alexandra Kronvold's daughter, Zammi, was taken from her two hours after birth in November 2024 and placed in foster care after Kronvold underwent parental competence tests known as FKU psychometric assessments.
The court found that the decision breached Kronvold's fundamental legal rights under the International Labour Organization's Indigenous and tribal peoples convention, and said the tests used to inform the removal were outdated.
Zammi is now 18 months old and living with a Danish foster family.
The ruling matters because Denmark banned the tests for people with Greenlandic backgrounds last May, after years of criticism.
But dozens of Greenlandic parents in Denmark remain separated from their children after being assessed under the earlier system.
Kronvold's lawyer said the judgment had great significance and could help other parents seek to overturn decisions made under the old rules.
He said the case confirmed concerns that the state had been in breach of Indigenous rights protections and possibly the European convention on human rights.
The case is also being watched closely because it is the first time Denmark's high court has ruled on the issue.
