It was on 8 August that the police went to a flat in the center of Bergen following a report of a disturbance. Inside they found a seven-year-old boy with extensive injuries, tied to a bed. The father, in his 30s, was arrested, remanded in custody and charged with serious mistreatment. So far, he has refused to explain himself to the police. The man is under forensic psychiatric assessment by experts while he is in custody. The case is now creating a political crisis in Bergen. Takes self-criticism Social council Katrine Nødtveit (MDG) briefed the opposition on the matter on Friday afternoon. She says that the City Council wants to reorganize childcare, but that they have already started immediate measures. The root of the problem is that there is currently a lack of a common reception desk for reports of concern to child protection, she believes. – The city council must take self-criticism on the child welfare system, which has many deviations and many breaches of the law, says Nødtveit. – Thin thread Group leader Hilde Onarheim (H) in Bergen city council says that she was not confident that the city council will take matters seriously after the meeting. – Trust hangs in the balance, she says. – Have you gained more or less confidence in the city council after the briefing? – It is probably a little lower than I had thought, she says. She is critical of the measures put forward by the city council. And do not think they will succeed in preventing similar, new cases in child protection. Nor was SV satisfied after the meeting. – The meeting was not confidence-inspiring, and nothing new, says SV’s group leader Mikkel Grüner. Hilde Onarheim (H) says that trust in the city council hangs in the balance. It is lower after the briefing on Friday afternoon. Photo: Oddgeir Øystese / news Father himself asked for help Several parties are considering mistrust of the city council after the State Administrator in Vestland on Thursday presented the inspection report against child protection in the case: It appears that the father himself asked child protection for help in the case, about a month before the boy was found injured. The state administrator says they have uncovered serious shortcomings in the practice of the child protection service, where they have not made professional sound assessments of the information in the case and they never spoke to the child either. Same failed again and again Both the SV and the People’s Party (FNB) and the Frp announced in BT and BA that they are considering a vote of no confidence in the city council in the matter. – It is the same mistakes that have been discovered time and time again. It is not acceptable, the city deserves better, says group leader Mikkel Grüner (SV) to BT. Høgre says to news that they will wait for more information in the case, but that they are following the case closely. The reason for the strong reaction among the opposition politicians in Bergen is that this is the second time in less than a week that the State Administrator has harshly criticized the municipality’s child protection and health services. Both SV and the People’s Party (FNB) are considering distrust of the city council after the State Administrator has uncovered serious shortcomings in the practice of the child welfare service. – It is the same mistakes that have been discovered time and time again, says Mikkel Grüner (SV). Photo: Simon Skjelvik Brandseth / news – Makes a strong impression In January this year, a teenage boy was admitted to Haukeland University Hospital with severe malnutrition. In the inspection report, the county doctor concludes that the municipality has failed both the boy and his siblings, because they did not receive the follow-up they are entitled to before the situation became acute. – It is deeply shocking to read these two reports and they make a strong impression on me, writes city council leader Roger Valhammer (Ap) in an SMS to news. On the basis of these reports, the city council has this week worked on speeding up proposals for Bergen’s new child welfare system, which they had planned to present to the city council in November. Valhammer is currently traveling in Japan, but will arrive in Bergen next Monday. When asked what he thinks about several parties considering distrust, he replies: – The most important thing for me as city council leader is to get to the heart of the problem. We must rebuild trust in our child welfare services. I think Bergen’s new child care and the reform lay the foundation for a new child care that will be able to do exactly that. City council leader Roger Valhammer (Ap) says that it is deeply shocking to read the reports from the State Administrator and they make a strong impression on him. Photo: Marit Hommedal / NTB Couldn’t find the doorbell and went home The state administrator has revealed that the father accused of abuse himself went to child protection for help, a little over a month before the son was found. Child welfare then called the man in for a follow-up interview, before they went to visit at the end of July. Before the visit, the case had been given a medium level of seriousness by child protection, which “means that the child needs help, but that this is not urgent”. During the visit, the staff from the child protection service could not find his flat. There were no names on the bells, they tried to call the father who did not answer and they waited outside the house for about 30 minutes before leaving again. Twelve days later, child protection was notified that the boy was tied to a bed and they notified the police, who rushed to the scene. news knows that the man came to Norway from abroad a few years ago. Sonen only came to Bergen this summer.
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Strong reactions after a new, serious failure in child protection in Bergen – news Vestland
