– The consequence may be that children’s legal security becomes worse. They are not heard, says Anne-Lise Farstad. She is the manager of the Statens barnehus in Kristiansand. Children’s homes can be found all over the country and are an offer for children and young people who may have been exposed to violence or abuse. Among other things, they carry out organized interrogations of children. But on a national basis, there have been far fewer such interrogations in recent years. – I think that fewer cases would have been dismissed, and that the percentage of clarifications would have been greater if more organized questioning of children had been carried out, says Farstad. See more photos from inside the Barnehuset i Kristiansand: One of several waiting rooms at the Barnehuset i Kristiansand. At the orphanage, the children can also have a forensic examination. What is said in the interrogation rooms is filmed and can later be used in court. The child is told that the conversation is being filmed in advance. All waiting rooms are equipped with many toys. The children’s home in Kristiansand can also examine children’s teeth. Facilitated interrogations Facilitated interrogations involve what the police call an evidence recording while the child is being questioned. The child gets to tell about what he has experienced, in a safe environment, at an orphanage. Where the child is also surrounded by counsellors, psychologists and other personnel who look after them both before, during and after the arranged questioning. The conversation will be recorded for later if there is a court case and it is appropriate to show the recording. Living on with violence The number of arranged interrogations of children under the age of 6 has had an overall decrease of 30 per cent since 2017, figures from the Norwegian Children’s Home show. – There is a risk that children who live with violence in close relationships will stay and not get help, says head of investigations at Troms police district, Ståle Luther. He has investigated sexual abuse for many years, and has been a member of both the child abuse committee and the rape committee. Luther’s experience is that there is not as much investment in the field of child abuse as is claimed. He draws a connection between a weak clearance rate in cases of violence in close relationships and a weakened professional environment. – You have to stop the development where professional environments are weakened, and ensure that the entire field has enough resources so that we can do the job society expects, says Luther. Luther has investigated sexual abuse for many years, and is concerned about the decline in organized interrogations. Photo: Anna Rut Tørressen / news According to Luthe, special units that work with the heaviest family violence cases and sexual offense cases are disbanded and sent out to geographical operating units instead. The Ministry of Justice has not responded to news’s inquiries. Facilitated interrogations of children under the age of six in 2023, 2019 and 20172023: 749 facilitated interrogations 2019: 945 facilitated interrogations 2017: 1,099 facilitated interrogations DecreaseThe figures show that facilitated interrogations of children under the age of six have decreased by 20.74 percent between 2023 and 2019. The decline is even greater between 2023 and 2017. By then, there have been 31.85 per cent fewer organized interrogations of children under the age of six. The figures are taken from the Statens barnehus. What is a structured interrogation? A structured interrogation involves what the police call an evidence recording while the child is being questioned. The child gets to tell about what he has experienced, in a safe environment, at an orphanage. The conversation will be recorded for later if there is a court case and it is appropriate to show the recording. Wants changed legislation Endre Bendixen is legal advisor at Stine Sofies Stiftelse in Grimstad. He shares Luther’s concern, and believes the legislation is not clear enough. – There are cases where you can have, and cases where you must have an interrogation arranged. We believe that the laws must be rewritten, so that there are more cases where the children have to be interviewed. Bendixen believes it is important to have a set of regulations where more children go to the children’s homes to be arranged for questioning and medical examinations, before the cases can be dismissed. – When you have “can” provisions, it is a lot about the police’s resources, workload and time, says Bendixen. Endre Bendixen reads from the Children’s Accident Investigation Board, which tells what the consequences are if children are not heard. Photo: Victoria Marie Nordahl / news It is section 239 of the Criminal Procedure Act that Bendixen wants to change. The law includes who and when you have a right to an organized questioning. Regional differences Both Farstad from the orphanage in Kristiansand, Luther from the police in Tromsø and Bendixsen from the foundation in Grimstad emphasize that there are large regional differences. – Some people are good at using dental health examinations. Some people are good at using medical examinations. Others don’t, says Endre Bendixen. He says such investigations are important to be able to uncover different types of violence and abuse, and that the quality of children’s homes should therefore be raised to what is best practice today. – It is incredibly important that the children’s legal security does not depend on where they live. Therefore, the legislation must be the same, and it must be followed equally, says Bendixen. The Children’s Accident Investigation Board for 2024 sheds light on important matters surrounding violence against the youngest children. Photo: Anna Rut Tørressen / news Overview of arranged interrogations of children under the age of six in 2023, 2019 and 2017 Orphanage 2023 2019 2017 Kristiansand: 29 86 76 Hamar: 67 50 57 Ålesund: 29 88 66 Bodø: 30 72 80 Oslo: 177 131 222 Stavanger: 38 71 124 Sandefjord: 110 89 144 Tromsø: 45 94 53 Trondheim: 44 34 48 Bergen: 79 97 118 Moss: 101 133 111 Total: 749 945 1099 The figures show that arranged interrogations of children under the age of six have decreased 20.74 per cent between 2023 and 2019. The decrease is even greater between 2023 and 2017. Then there have been 31.85 per cent fewer organized interrogations of children under the age of six. The figures are taken from the Statens barnehus. Concerned – We are concerned that the number of interrogations at children’s homes is decreasing, says State Secretary Hans Petter Aasen (Sp) in the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness. The government has, as a measure, previously announced that it will facilitate the establishment of more subdivisions of the children’s homes in places. – Today, many people have long journeys and this is a burden on the children, he says. Good to tell Back at the Children’s House in Kristiansand, Anne-Lise Farstad says that many children think it’s good to be able to talk to someone. – We find that many children say it is good to be told what they have experienced. They must have an opportunity to tell what they have been exposed to. She nevertheless emphasizes that not all children can or should be questioned, for example if they are too young. It is also voluntary for children to be questioned or checked by a doctor, according to Farstad. Nevertheless, she hopes that more will be sent to the children’s homes for arranged interrogations. – The consequence is poorer legal certainty. The fact that children are not heard, and perhaps feel that they are not believed. There are often many breaks between interviews where the child can be in a break room to play. Photo: Victoria Marie Nordahl / news Hello! Do you have any thoughts about the case you have just read or tips for other things we should look at? We have worked on several issues about, among other things, Russian time, life as a student, local politics & single life. Send us an email! Published 28.08.2024, at 06.04
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– The rule of law is weakened – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
