On the morning of Sunday 27 August, the police received a report of a death at a child welfare institution in Bergen municipality. It was an 18-year-old woman who lost her life. news has been in contact with the father of the deceased teenager. He is deeply affected after losing his daughter. – The situation is completely surreal, he says. He had been in contact with his daughter on Saturday morning. – She seemed clearly intoxicated early in the day. That was the last time I spoke to her, says the father. The father does not wish to speak any further about the matter at this time. Should have been on aftercare measures The police say that the cause of death is currently unknown. news has been told by several independent sources that the teenager was heavily intoxicated when she returned to the institution on Saturday evening. According to news’s understanding, the 18-year-old was on an aftercare measure at the institution. The institution in Bergen had services for child welfare children who had come of age and needed a transition service. Photo: Jon Bolstad / news Young people who have reached the age of 18 are no longer children according to the Children’s Act and the Child Protection Act. Thus, they can choose to move out of a child welfare institution themselves. Some choose to stay put as an aftercare measure. When young people want this, it means that they agree to comply with the house rules and routines that apply at the institution. The general rules for emergency court and emergency guardian will also apply, according to Bufetat. It may be appropriate to extend the inspection The State Administrator in Vestland has previously confirmed to news that they will open an inspection case. Øystein Breirem Jacobsen, head of section at the State Administrator, says that it may be appropriate to also supervise services other than child protection. Øystein Breirem Jacobsen at the State Administrator in Vestland says that it may be appropriate to extend the inspection. Photo: The State Administrator in Vestland – We are working to get an overview of which services have been involved. These could be services such as the school health services, or public health services, explains Jacobsen. – It is always serious and tragic when young people die in public care. It affects us, he adds. Emergency guardian, but not coercion The Child Welfare Act clearly states that house rules, routines or the like cannot restrict children’s rights according to the law or regulations to the law, and that they must not be applied in a way that would be unreasonable towards the child in the individual case. Bufetat further states that an institution cannot exercise restrictions or use coercion if the young adult over the age of 18 opposes this in a concrete situation. For example, the institution cannot examine the room of the young adult if it is suspected of storing drugs, if the young person in the specific situation does not wish to do so. The employees receive close follow-up The current institution is state-owned and subject to the Bureau of Statistics. – This is a great tragedy primarily for the next of kin, says Regional Director of Bufetat, Marianne Kildedal. – It is also a great strain on our employees, who work at the institution because they want to help children and young people, says Kildedal. The regional director says that the employees at the current institution have been followed up and looked after by the management and the occupational health service since the death. The follow-up in the coming days and weeks will be adapted to the needs of the individual employee, according to Kildedal. Police attorney Celin Hauge Andersen says that there is no suspicion of anything criminal. Photo: Synne Lykkebø Hafsaas / news The cause of death is not clear It was Dagbladet that first mentioned what the police describe as a suspicious death. – As of now, there is no suspicion that the death is due to a criminal act. I cannot say anything more about the cause of death, says police attorney Celin Hauge Andersen to news. The police have opened an investigation case. – We do that when we receive reports of unexpected deaths. The purpose is to see if there are grounds for an investigation, she says. She says that so far no information has been received that has provided a basis for starting an investigation. The police and the State Administrator are now carrying out independent investigations. – We will share information with them, says Andersen.
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Was in aftercare at the children’s welfare office – news Vestland
