Nordre Follo municipality ordered to compensate after child welfare mishandling
A court has ruled that Nordre Follo municipality must pay compensation for the mishandling of a 2010 child welfare case involving a four-year-old boy.
In a decision by the Nordre Østfold tingrett, Nordre Follo municipality was ordered to provide compensation after the child welfare office of the former Ski municipality prematurely closed a 2010 case concerning a four-year-old boy. The boy was found alone in a shopping centre just days after the case was dismissed, despite numerous serious concern reports. The court concluded that the child welfare authority acted negligently, and that an earlier removal of the child could have prevented two additional years of neglect and severe violence.
The now-twenty-something victim, diagnosed with complex PTSD and serious attachment issues, received a sizable compensation package and coverage of legal expenses. His attorney, Eva Mariama Sæthre Barrow, expressed hope that the judgment will lead to better protection for other children. Nordre Follo’s lawyer, Karoline Henriksen, indicated the municipality will carefully examine the ruling before determining its response.
