The case in summary Today it is easy to falsify a police certificate, which can be exploited by people who want to become trainers for children. A new pilot project will introduce a digital system for police certificates, which will make it more difficult to falsify these. The new service will make it easier for sports clubs to have an overview of who should have a police certificate, as well as make it easier for the person responsible at the club to follow up the application process and gain access to the certificates. Innlandet is the first county to test the new service, and Tina Thorsen, head of organization in Innlandet sports circle, believes the new scheme is ground-breaking. Work is also underway for a change in the law which will mean that police certificates can be updated more frequently than the current arrangement. The police emphasize that a police certificate is no guarantee against future offences, but an important tool for assessing whether a person should have a relationship of trust or responsibility for minors or people with developmental disabilities. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – Anything that makes it easier for clubs to enforce police certificates is good, says Tor Solbakken. He calls himself the voice of experience. A few years ago, he came forward and helped to reveal that a high-profile sports manager abused young boys for a good 40 years. The roll-up led to a discussion about how cumbersome the system of police certificates in sports clubs is. A long-awaited, digital scheme is now being introduced. It will first be tested in the interior and then in all sports circles. Other actors who use police certificates must also be able to use the new solution in due course. – Ground-breaking service The new service will: Make it easier for sports teams to have an overview of who should have a police certificate. Make it easier and safer for the person responsible in the club to follow up the application process and gain access to the certificates. Make it more difficult to forge the police certificate. Inlandet is the first county to test the new service. Tina Thorsen is organizational manager at Innlandet sports circle. She believes the new scheme is ground-breaking, and a victory for sport. – Unfortunately, sport is a place where abusers have the opportunity to commit further offences. Police certificate in sport Volunteers and employees in Norwegian sports who are given a relationship of responsibility and trust for minors or people with developmental disabilities must show a police certificate. The certificate must be without comments. The offenses covered are: Sexual offences, violent offences, etc., drug offenses and profit-making offences. Depending on the degree of the offence, these disappear from the certificate after a while, see more info here. In 2018, the police stopped renewing police certificates for people who had already received a certificate. The certificate is only renewed if the persons change their role in the sports team. Source: Norwegian Sports Confederation More improvements to come The current arrangement has also been criticized for the fact that the police initially do not renew a certificate after it is printed. Thus, the sports team does not get to know about any later judgments. – It is as simple as that we want to make everyday life safe for our athletes. Not least, get control that abusers and those who commit offenses are not allowed to be in the sport. Photo: Privat According to Thorsen, the sport has heard that there is a need for a change in the law which means that the certificates can be updated more frequently than the current system. Such a legislative change process can take up to a couple of years, but Thorsen hopes it will go faster. – This means that we can catch any offenses immediately, so that it will be safer for our children. The police: – Positively The Finnmark police district is responsible for printing police certificates. Section leader Alexander Gulliksen Johansen says he cannot comment on the system itself, because the police have not created it. He still believes that it is positive that the sports association is working to ensure that the sports teams have the same processes and a common understanding of assessments when requiring a police certificate. Furthermore, he emphasizes that the police certificate is no guarantee against future offences. – But it is an important tool for assessing whether or not a person should have a relationship of trust or responsibility for minors or people with developmental disabilities. – I don’t think the scheme will solve the problem without the clubs actively working on the problem related to violence, bullying, harassment and abuse, points out Tor Solbakken. Photo: Knut Røsrud / news Convicted of assault in sport Back to the voice of experience Tor Solbakken. He is also senior lecturer at Høgskolen i Innlandet. Here he works with sports subjects, and with the subject of sexual abuse and violence in school and sports. He also reminds us that the work does not end with the issuing of a police certificate. Because it is about working with awareness and attitudes on a daily basis. – Ask questions, be critical of your own business and make it as safe as possible for these children and young people who are part of this wonderful sport. Published 30.08.2024, at 12.03
ttn-69
New system will make it more difficult for abusers to get jobs in sports – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
