– It is heartbreaking and a very shocking case, says equality and discrimination ombudsman Bjørn Erik Thon. For six weeks, a 21-year-old man was strapped to a bed at Sykehuset Østfold. The man has autism and is mentally disabled – and has the cognitive abilities of a four-year-old. He was moved to the hospital when the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority closed down his municipal residence in Halden. In the hospital, he was strapped in around the clock for 40 days. The Equality and Discrimination Ombudsman (LDO), the Norwegian Institution for Human Rights (NIM) and the Norwegian Association for Developmental Disabilities (NFU) are now strongly criticizing the treatment the 21-year-old has received. Equality and discrimination ombudsman Bjørn Erik Thon believes that the case of the 21-year-old must be followed up and calls for the phasing out of booster beds in Norway. Photo: Javad Parsa / NTB Have been asking for a change in the law for several years Both Østfold Hospital and Halden municipality have complained that seat belts were the only solution. – This is a patient who acts out so violently that there was a great risk that he could harm himself and others. That’s why it was necessary to put him in seat belts, says communications manager at Sykehuset Østfold Ingrid Wisnes Trømborg. But Thon reacts to the explanation. – It is high time that the Minister of Health came to the fore. A serious human rights violation has been committed against this person. Lying in belts is terribly traumatizing. It can cause both physical and psychological damage that can last for several years after the incident, he says. The NFU also believes that the case shows that there has been a failure at all levels. They are particularly critical of the municipality. – Halden municipality blames challenges in recruiting healthcare workers and social workers. There is a disclaimer. They have failed in their duty as an employer. But they are not alone in the responsibility, says confederation leader Tom Tvedt in the NFU. Confederation leader of the Norwegian Institute for Human Rights (NIM) Tom Tvedt believes the case gives a picture that municipalities that lack resources resort to illegal coercion. Halden municipality writes in an e-mail to news that they do not wish to comment on the case. Violation of human rights by wearing seat belts in Norway was pointed out by, among others, the Coercive Limitation Committee in 2019. The committee proposed phasing out seat belts over three years. But since then nothing has happened. However, a number of cases of illegal coercion have been uncovered in recent years, according to the discrimination ombudsman. Thon believes the case of the 21-year-old is a good example of how things can go wrong. – We cannot have a minister of health who reacts passively to knowledge that there are ongoing violations of human rights in mental health care, and that people who are initially vulnerable and particularly exposed are subjected to further traumatization and harm under the auspices of the health service that was supposed to help them. On 14 June, the 21-year-old was strapped into the hospital. Six weeks later, the man was discharged and moved back to the municipal housing which had been improved. Marked by the belting, the 21-year-old was left naked and belted around the clock, and had to make out in bed. The straps around his torso, arms and feet were occasionally loosened. But the belts were never completely removed, and he was never allowed to leave the bed. The Norwegian Institute for Human Rights believes that the duration of the seat belt is deeply problematic. – Practical and staffing challenges do not justify the use of coercion that violates the absolute prohibition against inhuman and degrading treatment, which is there to protect vulnerable individuals from abuse, says director Adele Matheson Mestad. Sister Lydia will now, together with her family, continue to fight for her little brother. Photo: Amalie Fagerhaug Evjen / news Today, the family describes the 21-year-old as very affected by the belt. – Both we and the employees who work with him notice that he clearly has more difficulty now. He is more anxious, scared and suffers from PTSD. He has lost hair on his head due to stress. He is not the same person as before admission, says his sister Lydia. The government: – Appears serious The UN Committee on Torture has recommended that Norway stop the practice of using coercive measures against people with disabilities. The Equality and Discrimination Ombudsman believes that alternatives to seat belts could be more use of restraints and mild medication. – We now expect a plan with realistic measures that will make it possible to phase out the use of belt beds in the Norwegian healthcare system with the aim that a ban can be adopted during the current term of government, says Thon. Health Minister Ingvild Kjerkol (Ap) has not agreed to an interview with news about this matter. But State Secretary Truls Vasvik in the Ministry of Health and Care Services states that the government has ongoing work to look at the use of coercion in mental health care. He says it is too early to say anything about what the work will result in. – We do not know the details of this case, but as it is told by news, this appears serious and not in accordance with the treatment offer we want people to receive in our common health service, says Vasvik. His sister Lydia and his mother Eva say that the 21-year-old is currently having a hard time and that together they will ensure that he gets justice. Photo: Amalie Fagerhaug Evjen / news Will take the case further In order to avoid the same thing happening again, the discrimination ombudsman will contact Halden municipality to review the case. – This is a very special case and this simply must not happen again, says Thon. The family says that in the time since admission they have received a lot of support. Now they will take the case further and go to court. – The violations of human rights and the unlawful use of force against him will be dealt with legally. If necessary, we will also get the court’s assistance to ensure that his housing situation is secured in the future, says the 21-year-old’s lawyer Hans Henrik Pettersen. Hi! Do you have opinions on the matter, or know of something else I should write about? Feel free to send me an email!
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Asking the Minister of Health to take action – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
