On Thursday, it became known that the 16-year-old who was stabbed at Oslo S last weekend has died. The accused in the case is himself only 16 years old. The incident is part of a series of violent cases where the victims and the perpetrators are young people. Now the Children’s Ombudsman demands action. – Now we see a tremendous increase in youth crime. The situation is serious, and we must do what we can to keep children and young people safe in Norway, says Ivar Stokkereit, department head and acting children’s ombudsman. – Not by chance In Norway very few murders are committed by children. The stabbing near Oslo S, which has now ended in a murder, is the tenth since 2013. This is the grossest form of violence. In the other layers, there are several examples: Acting children’s ombudsman Ivar Stokkereit is concerned, particularly about young people who commit serious violence or are drawn towards extremism. – It is not a coincidence which children commit serious crimes, says Stokkereit. RISK FACTORS: There are several risk factors for becoming a juvenile delinquent, according to Ivar Stokkereit. Photo: Petter Larsson / news – These are children and young people who receive poor care at home, grow up with poor advice, many have dropped out of primary school, and several struggle with psychological problems for which they feel they cannot get help. The Ombudsman believes that we already know what is needed to prevent these young people from becoming criminals. Want action from the municipalities – We have to do what Sweden did not do and that is to focus on prevention early on. So that we prevent them from being recruited into criminal circles when they get older, says Stokkereid. On Wednesday, the ombudsman sent a letter to all parties in the Storting. There he asked for more investment in prevention in the municipalities. Something the ombudsman believes has been too bad for many years. – I don’t think Norwegian municipalities even know what good prevention of youth crime is, says Stokkereit. He says that much of the work is carried out with short-term funding and comes too late. The ombudsman points out that the government is giving an extra NOK 300 million to the police in the revised national budget to fight gang crime, and twice as much from next year. The children’s ombudsman wants at least the same amount for preventive work in the municipalities. – So we can ensure that we are not in this situation again in four or five years. Here you can read more about what the Children’s Ombudsman wants: The Children’s Ombudsman requests broad, preventive measures: More police officers and social workers out on the streets and elsewhere where children and young people are More places in child welfare institutions More money for outreach services such as outdoor contacts and mentoring A meaningful leisure offer for all children can participate in More support for specialized violence and drug programmes, for those young people who need it Faster processing of criminal cases against young people – The municipality must compete with crime A large proportion of violent incidents where the police suspect young people occur in Oslo. The City Council for Social Services takes each case seriously. – Every child who experiences alienation and turns to crime is a tragedy, says Julianne Ferskaug (V). THE SCHOOL: The school is the most important place where you can reach young people who are on the way to falling out, says city councilor Julianne Ferskaug. Photo: Petter Larsson / news Why it happens like this is complex, but the city council emphasizes that there is a lot the municipality can do to prevent it. More leisure clubs, sports that are available to everyone and more summer and part-time jobs. The municipality is also working on a leisure card to ensure that everyone can afford to engage in an activity. – For some young people, violence and crime are attractive. The municipality must compete with crime and offer a more attractive everyday life. But the school is the most important place to reach young people who are on the way to falling outside, the city council believes. But what about those who are already involved in crime? Asking for more tools for the police One of the challenges that arise when dealing with young criminals is punishment. If the person is under the criminal minimum age, they cannot be punished with prison. – It is important to work preventively, we support that. But some of it simply cannot be reversed. And for them you have to have a larger register to play on when it comes to reactions, says Sylvi Listhaug. TOOLS: Sylvi Listhaug says that the police are not given the tools they request and need to combat youth crime. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB The party leader in the Progressive Party wants a lower criminal minimum age and closed institutions where children receive close follow-up. At the same time, she criticizes the current government for inaction, for downsizing the Oslo police and for setting up police stations where there is little crime. Want a new institution for young criminals The Ministry of Justice is responsible for much of what the children’s ombudsman and the Frp’s party leader are requesting. State Secretary Hans-Petter Aasen emphasizes that the most important thing the ministry can do is to prevent alienation and social problems. MEASURES: State Secretary Hans-Petter Aasen says they are taking several measures to deal with youth crime. Photo: Gunnar Bratthammer / news – But the justice sector cannot solve this alone. We depend on good cooperation across sectors and levels of administration and with the voluntary sector, says Aasen. One of the measures they want is a new type of institution for juvenile criminals, called safe houses. The State Secretary also lists these measures to deal with the increase in youth crime: More visible police officers, who can work preventively Faster and better reactions to young people who commit crime More use of ankle chains to keep young people who have committed crime away from certain areas. On Friday, the Storting will vote on the proposal for a revised budget, where the government has proposed giving NOK 1.6 billion more to the police. Published 20.06.2024, at 10.30 p.m
ttn-69
The FRP and the Children’s Ombudsman ask the government for measures – Greater Oslo
