It was in March 2021 that Sandra’s ex-husband kidnapped two of her four children. Sandra wanted to divorce the man, but it was nothing that he wanted to accept.
– He usually says that according to the religion, only he can divorce. Even today, he believes that we are married and that he has the right to all my children, even though the two older ones are not his, says Sandra.
Lived under honor violence and oppression
The ex-husband was very conservative, violent towards Sandra, both verbally and physically, and felt that Sandra could not raise the children in a sufficiently religious manner. That’s why he took the children to Saudi Arabia, says Sandra.
– It took a while before I realized how dangerous the situation was. After all, I was a believer and had been taught: If you obey your husband, you obey God. If you resisted, you committed a sin. So I thought I was sinning when I went against him, says Sandra.
When her youngest child was about to be born, Sandra decided to move away from him. At the birth, she also told BB and her midwife what it was like to live with him and that she was afraid that he would take the baby away from her.
– I was so afraid that he would take them away from me that I didn’t even want to give birth.
Reporting a concern could have helped
However, no report of concern was made – neither by the friends or BB. Sandra thinks this should have been done – even though she herself at the time did not dare to report it.
– If a report of concern had come in, a travel ban could have been issued and maybe I could have been helped to realize how dangerous the situation was.
Today, healthcare has no duty to report suspicions of abduction to the police. But they have an obligation to “immediately report to social services if, in the course of their work, they become aware of or suspect that a child is in harm’s way.”
SVT has been in contact with the women’s clinic in Uppsala, which noted Sandra’s fear that the children could be taken away in the medical records, but they decline to comment and refer to patient confidentiality. Instead, they attach the region’s policy and write that they must follow guidelines on reporting to social services.
Experts: The law is too narrow
Since 2020, social services can apply for an exit ban for children, but the law only applies to children who are to be married off or have genital mutilation.
SVT’s review shows that only half of all children for whom the social welfare board applied for an exit ban have received protection.
– It should be much easier to get an exit ban for children. For me and my children that I have left, it would have been a security that they cannot be taken out of the country in any way, says Sandra.
Sociale does not want to comment on individual cases
Several experts that SVT spoke to believe that the new law is too narrow. SVT has also applied to the social service in Uppsala municipality. They do not want to answer why it took five days for Sandra to get protection, because they do not want to comment on individual cases. When asked why Sandra’s children were not banned from leaving, Uppsala municipality’s press department generally answers:
“As the law is now worded, travel bans can only be used when there is a tangible risk that someone under the age of 18 will be taken abroad to undergo genital mutilation or enter into marriage. We look favorably on investigating whether there may be more situations than these where an exit ban could be applied.”
Sandra’s youngest child has now been gone for exactly two years. Since their abduction, at least 447 children have been abducted during the same period.
Sandra is actually called something else.
Do you work in authorities and feel restricted by the legislation? Here you can tip SVT Nyheter’s investigative reporters.