Advocating for Barnahus in Sweden Åsa Landberg

Save the Children Sweden 2006 NGO with international and domestic programs for children Promotes Children´s rights 89.000 members in Sweden (active or passive)

Sweden Social services (child protection) – 290 municipalities Health Care – 21 counties Prosecution – State, 32 districts Police – State, in 2006 21 independent districts, (now one) The catchment areas do not correspond!

Background Difficult for children in Europe to get justice as victims of sexual abuse Very often participation in legal investigations and proceedings implies extraordinary stress for the child The legal systems into which children are drawn are designed for adults and modelled on adults needs and abilities Children are put in an extremely subordinate position

2002 Child Abuse and Adult Justice - A comparative study of different European Criminal Justice Systems handling of cases concerning Child Sexual Abuse. Christian Diesen, Save the Children. 10 European countries - Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Romania, Spain and Sweden. (Founding through the Daphne Programme)

Conclusions from Diesens study The competence of all legal actors in investigations and proceedings concerning suspected child sexual abuse, must be enhanced, through special training and some specialization Collaboration with behavioural expertise in the field is often necessary Co-ordination between all actors and agencies involved must be strengthened Ideally, from the child’s perspective, all relevant authorities and services should be represented under one roof - Children’s House in Reykjavik, Iceland, may serve as an inspiring example in this respect

2005 Governement commisson Pilot project in six citys Save the Children the only NGO in the reference group Intensive work with site visits, meeting and conferences Eavluation and final report in 2008

2005 Seminar in the Parliament ”Därför Barnahus” Documentation of the seminar, interviews and arguments

Network meetings for Barnahus An opportunity to meet and learn from each other! An opportunity for Save the Children to learn! An opportunity to try new ideas, to spread knowledge and research

The first criterias by Save the Children 2008

The book about Barnahus 2009

2009 Common criterias Result from a governmental commission Common National Guidelines for multiagency Collaboration in inquiries relating to children who may have been exposed to Crime and Standards for Barnahus

Inside a Barnahus 2013 A quality review of 23 Barnahus A comparative stydy and 23 local reports Resulted in a manual with twelve criterias Secured support for the quality criteria among Swedish Barnahus

Advocacy on a local level Members (volonteers) Material and facts from Save the Children Meetings with local politicians and decision makers Local media

Example 2006 Campaign (election year) TV documentary (three programs) Five reports concerning abused children, showing the problems 943 politicians contacted by phone, 865 said that they would promote Barnahus 1000 politicians contacted by e-mail, Flyers distributed outside the parliament Seminars and meetings More than 550 articles and programs May-September (70 % in May)

Important factors Respect for Save the Children as an authority on violence against children Experts/ multiprofessional team! Knowledge and facts Members (volunteers) Media A plan! Coordination of Advocacy on local and national level

Challenges Lcak of national coordination Participation and information Long investigations Unclear responsibility for children’s health Lex Barnahus is needed!