– There is a risk that the victims of violence do not get the help they need, the Office of the Auditor General writes in a press release. The Office of the Auditor General’s investigation shows that public employees are uncertain in the relationship between the duty of confidentiality and the duty to prevent, and that they do not know when the duty to prevent applies. – If there is one thing I hope to stick with this report, it is that the duty to prevent goes before the duty of confidentiality. The uncertainty can lead to violence not being stopped, and that victims of violence not getting the help they need, says Auditor General Karl Eirik Schjøtt-Pedersen. Here are the main findings of the report Important actors are uncertain about whether and how to report suspected violence Challenges in the police investigation and use of protection measures Lack of comprehensive assistance and authority coordination Variation in the municipality’s follow-up The processing time in the police is long Risk management tools are not used in all partner violence cases Weaknesses in the use and follow-up of protective measures Too little competence about honor-related violence The Office of the Auditor General also finds that lack of knowledge about honor-related violence, forced marriage and female genital mutilation can lead to cases not being detected. Everyone has a statutory duty to avert serious criminal offenses that follow from the Penal Code § 196 (duty to avert). These include rape, murder, ill-treatment in close relationships and abuse of children. The police’s clearance rate has decreased. The duty arises when it appears certain or most probable that the act is or will be committed. At the same time, the police’s clearance rate has decreased, even though they prioritize cases of violence in close relationships. According to police informants, the reason is that the cases are demanding to investigate, it is often difficult to form a sufficient evidence base, the investigation capacity is limited and there is a large turnover of employees in this area. Conservative Sveinung Stensland calls the findings of the Office of the Auditor General serious. Justice policy spokesperson Sveinung Stensland in the Conservative Party. Photo: Siri Vålberg Saugstad / news – Emilie Mehl has now been Minister of Justice for 9 months, but still not managed to deliver on the action plan against violence in close relationships, or present an escalation plan that she has promised the Storting. It seems that reversals and rematch are more important than action, Stensland says in an e-mail to news.
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The Office of the Auditor General with harsh criticism of efforts against violence in close relationships – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
