1. Advocating for Barnahus in Sweden
Åsa Landberg

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

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

4. 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

5. 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)

6. 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

7. 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

8. 2005 Seminar in the Parliament
”Därför Barnahus” Documentation of the seminar, interviews and arguments

9. 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

10. The first criterias by Save the Children 2008

11. The book about Barnahus 2009

12. 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

13. 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

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

15. 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 , Flyers distributed outside the parliament
Seminars and meetings
More than 550 articles and programs May-September (70 % in May)

16. 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

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