On the first of January, the government introduced changes to the law that will strengthen children’s protection against contact with a violent parent.
The law change comes after several cases that received a lot of attention in the media, including the murder of eight-year-old Tintin in Luleå and the case of the girl who was called Little Heart.
– Now we are making a major shift in perspective so that children’s rights will come before adults’ and parents’ rights, says Social Services Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M).
Clearer law
The amendment to the Parental Code means that the child’s right to be protected against being exposed to violence and other violations must take precedence over the child’s need for contact with both parents. In cases that are difficult to judge, the court is obliged to obtain an expert opinion from a psychologist.
The law should also become clearer about when a transfer of custody of a child who is placed in a family home must take place to the family home parents.
– The government is now also investigating a number of different changes to the law that will strengthen the perspective of children’s rights, says the Minister of Social Services.