After a year of separation: 17-year-old orphan Nasta has been reunited with her daughter Melek.

According to ТСН: A commission in Kryvyi Rih decided to return almost two-year-old Melek to her 17-year-old mother Nasta, who has completed boarding school. This took place after an investigation into violations of the rights of orphaned children evacuated to Turkey.

"Nasta and Melek are together! After a year of forced separation. This story contains much pain, trials, and injustice. But at the same time, a lot of love and faith," reported human rights activist and blogger Inna Miroshnychenko.

Thanks to the publicity of this situation, the blogger provided legal support to Nasta and helped reunite her with her child.

Scandalous backstory

Nasta's story is linked to the evacuation of over 500 orphaned children from Dnipropetrovsk region to Turkey under the auspices of Ruslan Shostak's foundation "Childhood Without War" at the beginning of the full-scale aggression. In Turkey, 15-year-old Nasta became pregnant by a 23-year-old hotel worker and returned to Ukraine in her seventh month of pregnancy.

The investigation revealed that those responsible for the children probably knew about the pregnancy, but Nasta did not receive the necessary support. She gave birth to her daughter Melek in Kryvyi Rih without the assistance of guardians. After that, the girl ended up in a social dormitory run by Pastor Maksym Fetisov, who, according to her, deceitfully took her child away, temporarily registering it in his name for traveling abroad.

Journalists found that since August, a court process had been ongoing regarding the deprivation of Nasta's parental rights, which the girl learned about from the media.

Intervention and quick decision by the commission

Human rights activist Inna Miroshnychenko noted that she initially planned a long legal battle, as there was a lot of "slander" against the girl in the case materials. However, thanks to publicity and investigation, the case was resolved in less than two weeks.

The special commission meeting took place in Kryvyi Rih with the participation of representatives from the regional Child Affairs Service, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ombudsman’s Office.

"Fetisov was there with a lawyer, they were very opposed (to giving the child back, — ed.). But all commission members expressed support for Nasta, as everyone was aware of this situation, and everyone watched the film ('State Children' — ed.). They decided that they needed to help Nasta," Miroshnychenko said.

Support and future

According to media reports, Nasta and Melek will remain at the Center for Mother and Child, where they will receive full social and psychological support. Also, according to Miroshnychenko, thanks to the intervention of the deputy mayor, Nasta, as a person from among orphans, has a high chance of obtaining social housing after leaving the center.

At the beginning of the full-scale invasion by Russia, about 3500 orphaned children and their escorts were evacuated to Turkey. The transportation, housing, and support of these children were provided by the charity fund of Ruslan Shostak, whose assets in 2021 amounted to 140 million US dollars.

This story has become a symbol of the fight for the rights of orphaned children, showing how important support and protection are in times of crisis. The return of Melek to her mother is not only personal happiness for Nasta but also an important step towards reforming the child protection system.