Swedish authorities fall short in several respects when it comes to protecting threatened persons, the National Audit Office believes.
– The shortcomings lead to the state not being able to ensure that everyone who is in need of protection is also granted it. And we also see that the protection granted does not always have the desired effect, says Sara Kramers, project manager for the review.
She takes the situation seriously.
– All types of deficiencies in the protection will of course be serious. The protected person risks being exposed to threats, violence and harassment again. We also see that it risks leading to damaged trust in the state and above all in the judiciary.
The shortcomings often affect people who are exposed to violence and threats in close relationships – usually women who are exposed by men.
Want to tighten the law
A major problem in this context is how rarely prosecutors grant contact bans. Barely a third of all applications ultimately lead to a no-contact order. The police also do not follow up the cases well enough, and violations rarely lead to consequences, according to the National Audit Office.
The authority calls on the government to tighten the legislation and provide greater opportunities to issue contact bans against people who have not yet committed a crime. Today, the application is restrictive when it comes to people who have not had previous contact with the legal system.
– The research shows that contact bans can have the best effect precisely in cases where the person in question has not previously been arrested for violent crimes, says Sara Kramers.
Increased workload
Another problem is organized crime, which in recent years has forced the police to handle more and more protection cases. Therefore, people who are exposed to violence in close relationships risk being prioritized away, the National Audit Office believes.
– When it comes to organized crime, the threats are often acute, and we have no reason to question the police’s priorities. But we see that there is a risk that the police’s crime victim and personal safety activities will have less time to work against violence in close relationships, especially in metropolitan areas.