A suggestion by Lena Hellblom Sjögren November 26, 2016

Two teenage girls not enough investigated deaths while they were  in foster care make the following changes in Swedish legislation necessary as I see it.

My suggestion is also based on 25 years practice as an investigative psychologist and as a researcher on human rights in so-called custody conflicts:

ONE

An obligation for authority figures as the professionals within the social services, school principals, mental health professionals and policemen to be matter of fact-oriented and not partial, that is to obey to the Swedish fundamental law requesting this from authority employees.

This implies an obligation for the authority employees, and not anyone in private companies, to investigate well-documented facts regarding both parents and foster parents and the child´s total situation in retrospective, not relying on hearsay, reputations, and not professionally presented diagnosis. Not fulfilling this obligation should be seen as a criminal act by the individual professional in charge from the authority.

TWO

An obligation for all the above-mentioned authority employees, and also for teachers and priests, to respect human rights in their contact with children and their families of origin, above all the right to family life and fair legal trials.

This implies that separating children from good enough parents or other good enough family members prepared to take care of the children should be seen as a crime.

THREE

A division of the help function from the police function now united in the same authority called the social services and a professionalization in both these authorities that must be kept separated from each other.

This implies a reorganization and calls for changes in recruiting, training and methods and a call for national guidelines.