Norwegian Ombudsman warns prolonged psychiatric forced care may breach human rights
The Norwegian Parliamentary Ombudsman says keeping patients under compulsory psychiatric care far beyond discharge needs could violate human rights, citing cases of long-term stays in several hospitals.
A recent report uncovered that a minimum of eight Norwegian health trusts keep psychiatric patients who are medically fit for discharge in forced care for extended periods, some exceeding a year and one for more than four years. The Parliamentary Ombudsman’s prevention unit warned that such unnecessary coercion, especially at the highest security level, may breach human-rights standards. Helga Fastrup Ervik, head of the Ombudsman’s prevention unit, emphasized that any use of force must be necessary, proportionate and the least intrusive option.
Legal expert Bjørn Henning Østenstad called the situation alarming and inconsistent with the fundamental intent of human-rights law, though he noted that the division of responsibilities between state and municipal authorities complicates accountability. The issue is compounded by a lack of a dedicated oversight body to resolve disputes between psychiatric services and local governments, and a pending legislative proposal remains under the health ministry’s consideration.
