When the man and woman became a couple and moved in together, they had two children each from a previous relationship.
Almost at the same time they started living together, they are also suspected of having started treating the man’s children, who were under five years old, differently, and exposed them to serious crimes. According to the prosecutor, there is evidence that it took place from April 4 to May 2.
The couple have been put on trial at the Västmanland District Court for extremely serious assault, aggravated assault, kidnapping, illegal deprivation of liberty and four cases of breach of child protection.
Among other things, the children were flushed with “very cold” water, forced to eat vegetables from the floor, abused with shoehorns, had objects pressed into their mouths and taped in painful positions such as their right arm taped in their hair.
For long periods of time they also sat naked in the “cold room”, a small room without windows, where they were tied to a rope.
According to the investigation, the parents must have left the man’s two children alone at home while they went to the funfair with the woman’s children. On another occasion, they went to Leo’s playland at the same time as one of the special treatment children was tied up in the “cold room”.
When police were alerted to the conditions of the two children on the evening of May 2 and found the victims, they were completely bruised and one could not even stand up by himself.
“I have never in my police career seen a child with so many injuries and bruises, it was at times very exhausting for me personally to talk to NN precisely because NN was obviously so helpless and small, but inflicted such injuries,” wrote a police officer in the report afterwards.
The medical staff who received the children at the emergency room have also told us that they were deeply affected.
Report of concern: “Completely different children”
About a week before the abuse of the two young children, according to the indictment, began, social services were alerted about their situation with the father. Two anonymous reports of concern were called in to the municipality on March 21 and 23, respectively.
At the time, it was stated, among other things, that the children were perceived as subdued, depressed and did not appear to be doing well.
“Completely different children compared to how they were before,” the report said.
In addition, the complainant described that the children are isolated from others and that they are not allowed to give them birthday presents or Christmas presents.
Social services chose to call the father and the children’s separated mother, who is not the accused woman, to a meeting on April 4 – the same day the torture allegedly started.
– And they also had separate children’s talks with one of the children, says the business developer at the municipality.
Not investigated further
After the talks, the social service chose to drop the report and not start an investigation.
“There is no concrete information about the children’s health and development that is considered to be a basis for further measures by the social welfare committee,” the decision was written.
In connection with the suspicions against the couple becoming known in May, the relevant social services chose to report themselves and start a lex Sarah investigation.
– When we realize a month later that these children have done very badly, we naturally ask ourselves if we should have seen any signals? Should we have understood that there was something more to this family’s relationship? says the business developer.
For months, the case has been reviewed, with the headline “could the assault have been prevented if an investigation had been launched after reports had been received?”.
– Our lex Sarah is about “can we trust our own judgments?”. Although we have had conversations, met the guardians based on all the rules of art, we have made an incorrect assessment. But we couldn’t see it at this meeting, there were no indications.
Ivo connected: “Difficult consequences”
According to the lex Sarah investigation, the actual handling of the reports of concern went according to routine and the handling was correct, but the assessment that “the information about how the children were harmed was incorrect.”
– With hindsight, why didn’t we see this or should we have dug more or should we have asked other questions. The assessment is clearly wrong. And then the question for us is how we can secure it and what we should think about extra.
After the conclusion of the lex Sarah investigation, the social service has chosen to further report their actions as it is considered to be a serious misconduct.
– Considering the severe consequences that existed and became in that case, we are making a report to Ivo, the Inspectorate for Care and Care.
TV4 Nyheterna has spoken to one of the children’s plaintiff’s counsel, lawyer Marina Jozic, who in a comment says:
– The report of concern was made in March and the acts referred to in the indictment are from April. It is difficult for the social services to know what is behind closed doors, but in this situation the children should not be affected by it, but then the social services have to change their approach and way of working. But we’ll see what the Ivo report leads to. It has been very tough information that has come to light about what has happened to these children.
Social services are changing their routines
The municipality states that it has researched itself and chosen to change its routines regarding meetings with guardians who are separated.
– Regardless of what the parents think, we will have conversations with the parents individually, says the acting head of administration in the municipality and adds that they had a joint meeting with the mother and father of the affected children.
– Another thing we take with us is that if we see a big difference between what the parents show and what comes up in reports, we will also start investigations.
Part of the evidence that the prosecutor uses against the accused couple is the two closed reports of concern.
Ivo is now investigating the case. At the same time, the trial is ongoing in the Västmanland district court and is expected to end at the beginning of December.
The prosecutor does not want to comment on the actions of the social service for TV4 Nyheterna.