Municipal manager criticizes that the children in Söderhamn spoke out: “Inappropriate”

The three siblings would have been moved against their will today, four days before Christmas, to another family home, as SVT Nyheter reported. After all the attention, the children got a lawyer who has now received a decision on an emergency stop – inhibition – from the administrative court, until the case is taken up there in January.

The children have spoken to school staff, leisure educators and called a children’s representative at the Children’s Rights Agency to try to stop the move, before being interviewed by SVT.

After SVT’s publications, head of unit Gustav Larsson at Söderhamn municipality called the family home to a meeting, where he criticized that they let the children speak.

– I think that is inappropriate, what they tell SVT has no significance in the children’s case. There is nothing in the legislation that children should always get what they want, he says in the recording that SVT has seen.

The children “are too young” to express themselves

He says that children are always against relocation and that they are now against the move because they “are in the context they are in”.

– This is also why we have the laws we have which say that children this young should not represent themselves. The whole legal principle is based on it. Because you are not free to think for yourself.

But there he is wrong, says Nils Funcke, an expert on freedom of expression, who has, among other things, been investigative secretary in the Freedom of Expression Committee:

– Children have the right to freedom of expression, but many do not know that, so the children have the right to express what they want. Especially the oldest girl is very verbal and can explain her feelings.

Funcke says that the unit manager’s actions are a way of trying to deprive the children of their freedom of expression.

– Authority representatives must not limit children’s freedom of expression, it is inappropriate, bordering on illegal.

The professor: “Of course they can say what they think”

Even Olle Lundin, professor of administrative law, reacts to what the head of unit says:

– You can’t teach the children because they want to have their say – it’s not the same as not being allowed to represent themselves in court. In addition, they seem to have forgotten the Convention on the Rights of the Child, it goes without saying that they should be allowed to say what they think, he says.

SVT has contacted Gustav Larsson, who has announced that he does not want to appear for an interview.

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