Toto téma začalo být živěji medializováno v červnu tohoto roku, kdy autorka poslala prezidentu republiky Václavi Klausovi dopis jako reakci na článek listu Sunday Times. Ve svém vyjádření se Rowlingová ostře postavila proti užívání těchto lůžek.

Na půdě Evropského parlamentu stále probíhá diskuse na toto téma. Evropští poslanci se obracejí na své české kolegy s dotazy týkajících se užívání klecových lůžek a úrovně péče v duševně postižené děti v ČR.

Milan Cabrnoch jako dětský lékař a člen Výboru pro zaměstnanost a sociální politiku Evropského parlamentu cítí potřebu pozvat známou autorku knih pro děti do České republiky a ukázat jí podmínky, za kterých je o děti v českých sociálních ústavech pečováno.

Od návštěvy známé spisovatelky očekává Milan Cabrnoch další podporu potřebné veřejné diskuse na vážné a citlivé téma, jakým péče o duševně postižené je, a současně jistou korekci názorů na úroveň péče o duševně postižené děti v naší zemi.

Dopis:

Milan CABRNOCH, MD
Member of the European Parliament

Prague, 5.10.2004

Dear Mrs. Rowling,

I appeal to you in matters with mentally handicapped children in the Czech Republic.
Let me introduce myself first. I am a paediatrician, after nine years of practice I worked in the Ministry of Health and from 1998 to 2004 I was a Member of Parliament in the Czech Republic, vice-chairman of Social Politics and the Health Committee. In 2004 I was elected as a member of the European parliament, I am member of a cave EPP – ED and I work in the Employment and Social Matters Committee.

In June 14, 2004 you appealed to the President of the Czech Republic and to the Prime Minister with letters, in which you were interested in the care of mentally handicapped children in the Czech Republic. Your letters were in reaction to the article which was published in the Sunday Times on June 13, 2004.
Your interest in this problem in regard of your personality and popularity evoked increased interest in the issue of cession care in Czech Republic. I am informed that President Václav Klaus and then Prime Minister Vladimír Špidla answered your letter and were concerned with this problem.

I greatly appreciate your interest in mentally handicapped children and the cares which society can afford them. I appreciate also your personal asset for discussion, which is very necessary. Beside that I must say that in some media outlets our country was introduced as a place which permits faulty care of children or even tolerates their suffering. I can not agree with that, as you can understand.

Immediately after the reaction in the Czech media to the article in the Sunday Times, I personally familiarized myself with the social institution Ráby. I do not have the law to judge but according to my opinion the article in the Sunday Times was written very unfairly and it does not describe the reality as it is. I met very disappointed people who have been working in the institution for many years and who try their best at this hard work. These people were hurt by the article, by the media response and even by personalities like you, who joined in unjust accusations.

Even bigger uncertainty and concern evokes this affair in the souls of parents of all the social institution clients. Those who believed that their relatives are in the best care are now doubting and worried.
I make no question that we can never lose sight of social care for children and the mentally handicapped. We have to always have very strict, clear rules and control that they are followed. We have to value those, who need these rules and control them the same as those who take care of the mentally handicapped. Of course that is always possible to improve the care in my and even in your country. It is very essential to speak about these things but not only between specialists but even between politicians and the public.

I appreciate your personal attention with which you joined this hard work. Thanks to your popularity this problem which for years was discussed amongst specialists is being brought to the attention of the wider public, and that is good. I wish this discussion could proceed to European institutions and be rightly related to all European countries. I struggle for that, not to be part of the discussion imputation of my country and people who take care of mentally handicapped with big personal sacrifices.

Dear Mrs. Rowling, I would like to use your interest in aid of this discussion and personally invite you to the Czech Republic and for a visit in the Social Care Institution in Ráby. With your letters you came not just to campaign for adherence to human rights of disordered but also to the lives of the inhabitants and employers in Ráby. I wish you to personally meet them and see with your own eyes the place where they live and work. I assure you that you will be nicely surprised.

I am sure that you will not refuse my invitation. Your personal visit will have big publicity and a very positive impact for the public discussion about mentally handicapped children’s rights not only in my country but in all others. It will be a pleasure for me to welcome and accompany you in the Czech Republic.

Yours Sincerely

Milan Cabrnoch, MD

Mrs Joanne Kathleen Rowling
Box 1, 44-46 Morningside Road
EH10 5DX Edinburgh
Great Britain