TheMysteriousStoryofMaria:HowtheInternationalMediaPromoteStereotypesofthe

RomaniPeople,orGypsies

ItisfascinatingtoseepeoplealloverEuropelisteningtoandenjoyingthemusicand
artoftheRomani,knownasGypsies.Romanihavecontributedtothehistory,cultureand
literatureoftheregion,beingnotonlyaseparateethnicminority,butalsoanintegralpartof
thesocietiesandnationsinbothAmericasandEurope.Evennow,theyremainstigmatized
anddisparaged.MediaportrayalspromotestereotypesabouttheRomani,accentingthe
negativeaspects,andcomplicatingtheirinterrelationshipswithnonGypsiesthroughout
EuropeandAmericas.Thepurposeofthispaperistousethemediacoverageofthestoryof
Maria,aGypsygirlwhowasfoundlivingwithacouplenotrelatedtoher,toillustratethe
extentofthesestereotypes.

InthemiddleofOctober2013,astorybrokeoutintheinternationalnewsthatafouryearold,
blondhaired,blueeyedgirlnamedMariawaslivingwithaGypsycoupleclaimingtobeher
parentsandwithwhomsheborenophysicalresemblance(Papapostolou,2013).According
totheGreekReporter,duringaroutineoperationonaRomanisettlementnearFarsala,
CentralGreeceonOctober16,policespottedthechildandbecamesuspiciousbecauseshe
waslightskinnedandGypsies,whoareethnicIndians,aretypicallydarkskinned
(Papapostolou,2013).AccordingtotheGreekReporter...duringtheirquestioningbythe
competentpoliceofficers,[theRomanicouple]changedrepeatedlytheirstoryabouthowthey
gotthechildafactthatstrengthenedtheconvictionoftheofficersthatthelittlegirlwasnot
thechildoftheabovementionedindividuals(Papapostolou,2013).Aroundthesametime,
TheEconomistrehashedolddataaboutchildtraffickingbyGypsies(TheEconomist,2013).
ThedetainedRomacoupleconsistentlytoldGreekpolicethattheydidntstealMaria,but
wouldchangetheirstoryabouthowtheygother.Infact,onthedaythestorybroke,a
BulgarianmanknownbyresidentsinthesettlementtobeMariasbiologicalfathervisitedafter
thearrests.ButBabisDimitriou,thechairmanoftheFarsalavillageRomaassociation,who
contactedTheDailyTelegraph,explainedthat,"AlltheotherRomahereweretellingthe
Bulgarianmantoexplaintothepolicethatthegirlwashis,buthehasnowdisappeared
(Kallergis,Marsen,&Freeman,2013).
ThemultiplestoriestoldbytheRomacoupleabouthowtheygotMariapromptedDNA
testing,whichconfirmedthechildwasnotbiologicallytheiroffspring.Localsearchesforthe
biologicalparentsinGreecewerefruitless(Kallergis,Marsen,&Freeman,2013),thus
launchinganinternationalsearchthroughmissingpersonslistsinmanycountries,including
Canada,Ireland,andtheUnitedStates(Golgowski,2013).
Consequently,theGreekcharityorganizationTheSmileofTheChildtookcustodyofMaria,

andannouncedaEuropewidealertinanefforttohelpfindMariasfamily(BBCNews,2013
Reuters,2013).AccordingtoanarticleintheHuffingtonPost,PanayiotisPardalis,a
spokesmanforthecharity,said"itwasobvious"thatshewasnotaRomagirl(TheHuffington
PostUK,2013).ThepresidentofthecharitytoldtheBBCthatthegirlwasfrightenedand
neglectedwhenshearrivedintheircarebut[was]inoverallgoodhealthandwasnowmore
relaxed(Papapostolou,2013).
InvestigationofthiscasecontinuedfromOctober16untilOctober25,2013(CBSNews,
2013VoiceofAmerica,2013).Duringthisperiodoftime,manydesperatecouplesaround
EuropewerehopingthatMariawastheirmissingchild(Golgowski,2013PaulByrne,2013).
TheSmileoftheChildreceivedabout8,000callsandemailsfromparentsaroundtheworld
someofthemclaimedthatGypsiesstoletheirdaughterwhiletheyweretraveling,butnoneof
thedetailstheygavefitMariasdescription(Bacon,2013).
Specifically,threecouples,oneeachfromGreece,theUnitedKingdom(UK),andIreland,
insistedthatMarialookedliketheirlostchild(Golgowski,2013PaulByrne,2013Tom
Pettifor,2013).AsprofessorSueBlack,forensicanthropologistoftheUniversityofDundee,
saidtotheTelegraph:"Thereisnowayinwhichfacialappearancecanpinpeopletoa
particularpartoftheworldanymorebecausewearesocosmopolitan(Kallergis,Marsen,&
Freeman,2013).Instead,tobetterestimatewhetherMariawasfoundwithheradoptive
parentsorkidnappers,anthropologistscouldtrytoteaseoutwhetherthegirlknewanywords
ofaparticularlanguage(Kallergis,Marsen,&Freeman,2013).
Nevertheless,internationalnewsoverflowedwithdetailsofMariassituation,stirringpublic
opinionagainsttheRomaniandawakeningstereotypesoftheMiddleAges.Amongother
versionsofthestory,thedetainedRomacoupletoldGreekpolicethattheygotMariafroma
BulgarianGypsywomanwhohadnomeanstosupportthechild(Kallergis,Marsen,&
Freeman,2013).TheGreeklawyerfortheRomacoupleaccusedofabductingMariastated
theyadoptedherinanonlegalway(GreekRomacouplesayMariawasadoptedvideo,
2013).InavideofilmedonOctober21stforTheGuardian,theirattorneyemphasized..ifthey
wantedtodoso,theywouldprobably[have]sold[Maria]sofar.Thechildisabout5yearsold
andlivedinthisfamily.Theylovedher,andtreatedherastheirownchild.(GreekRoma
couplesayMariawasadoptedvideo,2013).
AsReutersreportedonOctober24,...Bulgarianpolicehaveidentifiedacoupletheysuspect
arethenaturalparentsofablondegirlfoundinaRomacampinGreece...thecouplearealso
Roma(VoiceofAmerica,2013).TheirinvestigationrevealedthattheBulgarianwoman,
SashkaRusheva,38,andherhusbandAtanasRushev,37,wereindeedMariasbiological
parents(VoiceofAmerica,2013).Mariasblondehairandpalecomplexionwasfoundtobe
duetoherbiologicalfathersalbinogene(VoiceofAmerica,2013).Further,Mariawas
observedtohaveastrikingresemblancetothepairsotherfivechildren(Fagge,Spencer,&
Kelly,2013).
Atthetimeofthiswriting(March2014),thisauthorcouldfindnofollowupinformationonthe
internetaboutwhateventuallyhappenedtoMaria.Wasshereturnedtoheradoptiveparents,
forcedtolivewithherbiologicalparentswhodidnothavethemeanstosupporther,orwas
shekeptunderthecareofthecharityorganization?

Vilifiedinmediaanddistrustedbysocieties,Gypsiesthinkskepticallyabouthelpcomingfrom
theoutsideworld.InGreece,thesizeoftheRomacommunityvariedbetween200,000and
300,000people,whoaresubsistingonwelfarepayments,tradingandbegging.
Unfortunately,theseactivitiessometimesinvolvecrime.RomapeoplelivinginGreece...are
segregatedintotheirownneighborhoods,andtheirchildrenattendRomaonlyschoolsbuilt
forthembytheGreekstate,somethingtheEuropeanCourtofHumanRightscamedownon
GreekofficialsforinacourtrulinginApril(Roumpis,Collins,&McPhedran,n.d.).Although
theyarethelargestminoritygroupinEurope,theyremainisolated,livingbelowthepoverty
lineandlackingbasiceducation.
Fromthetimethestorybroke,themediacreatedanevilimageoftheRomacoupleas
kidnappersandpooranddespicablecreatures.October17th,thedayaftertheraid,thelocal
Greeknewspaper,GreekReporter,releasedabriefarticletitled,BlondgirlfoundinRoma
campaboutfindingMariainthehouseoftwonativesduringalawfulpoliceoperationina
Romacamp(Kagkelidou,2013)Someofthenewswritersevenreportedtheinformationthat
wasnotfactual(Howyoungnewsmakershelpedshapetheworldin2013|TheRundown|
PBSNewsHour|PBS,n.d.).
Repeatingeachothersbiasedinformation,themediaaroundtheworldneverfactchecked
theinformationfromthelocalGreekmedia,andtheyalsoneverpointedoutthattheRomani
couplewastellingthetruthfromthebeginningoftheinvestigation.Forexample,aPBSarticle
stated,...herbiologicalmother,aBulgarianRomawoman,steppedforwardtoclaimMariaas
herdaughter,aclaimverifiedbytheDNAtest.(Howyoungnewsmakershelpedshapethe
worldin2013|TheRundown|PBSNewsHour|PBS,n.d.).Thiswasnotcorrectitwas
widelyreportedthattheBulgarianwomanwasfoundafterasearchforherthatwasstarted
afternoneofthecoupleswhoclaimedMariawerefoundtobeamatch.Notasinglearticle
mentionedthepossibilityofhumanrightsviolationstotheRomanicouple.Becausethey
adoptedMariaillegallyandhadproblemswiththeirpapers,nooneconsideredtheirhuman
rights.

WhatcomplicatestheissueofRomanihumanrightsistheirnomadicwayofliving.Sincetheir
firstappearanceinEuropeabout1,000yearsago,theyhavebeenhatedandpersecutedby
agriculturallyevolvedsocieties.TheseinstitutionalizedfeelingsdirectedtowardtheGypsies
presentedinthenewsandothermediaputtheRomaniatthebottomofthesocialladder.In
EasternandCentralEurope,theytypicallyliveinsegregatedslumsandareoftenseen
beggingortellingfortunes.However,thecriminalimagehasalwaysassociatedwiththem.
DisclosureoftheGreekRomanicouplescrimeofillegaladoptioncausedpeoplealloverthe
worldtoregressintoMedievalsuperstitionsaboutGypsies.

EachEuropeancountryhasitsownhumanrightslaws,andtheseshouldbeappliedto
everyoneinthecountry,regardlessoftheirnationality.Humanrightslawswerenotappliedin
thecaseofMaria.However,themediadidnotreportthisangle,orevenaskthequestionas
towhetherGypsieshavehumanrights.WhenanomadicpeopleliketheGypsiesdonothave
theirowncountry,whowillstickupfortheirrights?

References

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