– She was very happy that she gets to go home to Norway. It has been hard for her not to know what is happening, says Maria. Her name is actually something else, but wishes to remain anonymous for the sake of her daughter’s future. In June this year, news told the story of Maria, who fled abroad with her 13-year-old daughter to get her drug-free. The daughter had been under the care of child protection since the autumn of 2022, and developed serious substance abuse problems while living in a child protection institution. Maria’s daughter found it more difficult while she was living in a child welfare institution. Photo: Privat Because the escape from the child protection was against Norwegian law, Maria was charged with care evasion. The police investigated the case, but decided not to prosecute. Now the Child Protection and Health Board has decided that the mother will regain custody of the daughter. Then both can move home to Norway. – I hope we can travel back so that we can celebrate Christmas here in Norway. She must at least be here until school starts again in the new year, says Maria. – Deeply understandable and morally justified, the Tribunal emphasizes that the child protection service has not, in practice, had the care responsibility for the girl since January 2023. Not revoking the decision would therefore be comparable to a new decision on taking over care, they consider. All the parties in the case, including the girl’s home municipality, filed a claim that the care decision should be revoked. – I am surprised that child protection suddenly agreed. They haven’t meant it before. I think the expert has influenced them in the case, says Maria. Maria takes over her flat in Norway again during the month, and moves in with her daughter. Maria takes over her flat in Norway again during the month, and moves in with her daughter. The tribunal describes Maria’s choice to take her daughter out of the country as “both deeply understandable and to a large extent morally justified”. They also state that the mother has provided good help for her daughter with her drug problems and mental health. In the decision, they also write that it appears that the girl’s life and health were threatened at the time the mother chose to take her out of the country. Although Maria receives support from the tribunal in the recent decision, she is unable to feel relief. – It’s not nice. I am really traumatized and tired. I just want to finish, says Maria. Maria hopes that her daughter can come home before Christmas. Child welfare apologizes news has contacted the child welfare service in the home municipality of Maria and her daughter. They are the ones who have been responsible for the care of the girl since October 2022. They say that consideration for the child’s best interests in the situation that had arisen was the reason why they proposed to revoke the decision. – The alternative would have been for the girl to have stayed abroad against her own wishes until she turns 18 and can decide for herself, says the municipality’s head of child protection. She adds that the child protection service respects that the mother’s actions intended to protect her daughter. – We consider that the measures that were implemented did not have the desired effect during the time when the child protection service had care for the girl. The Child Protection Service regrets that the help they tried to provide did not lead to success, and that this may have contributed to the mother taking her daughter out of the country. – We are happy that the girl seems to have received help from others, and hope that she will do well in life, says the head of child protection. 13-year-old Sara stops eating and runs away from home. The distraught parents hope she can get help at a child protection institution. Published 12.11.2024, at 18.07
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Gets custody of her daughter back after almost two years on the run – Greater Oslo
