Children's Ombudsman Accepts Torture of Children

 

 

By Torture Norway



Shortly after Torture Norway published that any use of torture and inhumane and cruel treatment of children in state custody, will be reported to the UN Torture Committee and the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, the children's Ombudsman Anne Lindboe announced her alleged ignorance of the extensive use of coercion at so-called welfare institutions in Norway, and says she is "very surprised that young children down to seven years old, are subjected to physical coercion, as prolonged restraint" according to an article written by Lene Skogstrøm and Tine Dommerud for Aftenposten, Sept. 22nd. 2015.


Lindboe mentions examples of "young children who have been held in police grip, girls that are exposed to sexual abuse and have been held down by men much bigger than themselves, and youth who have been followed 24 hours a day" and calls this "a form for violence as children experience it"  and "rigid house rules", according to the same article.


As a justification of the degrading treatment children and young people are exposed to in state custody, Aftenposten writes the following:
"Anne Lindboe thinks one of the reasons for the widespread use of coercion in care institutions is that many of the children have mental health problems, and are not receiving the health care they are entitled to."

It is not mentioned what kind of impact the inhuman treatment which children live under in state custody, has on the children involved, but the focus is on the children as they "are at the borderline between the child welfare and mental health care" as a defense of the tactics used, and heinous activities like restraining children with belts, are excused by the lack of resources at the institutions.

Nor is family mentioned as a necessary resource for a child's well-being, or the fact that many children are denied continual and frequent contact with their families, as pointed out by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, but the focus is on more institutionalization.

Here it is important to remind of Amnesty International's definition of torture, which adheres to the UN Convention against Torture, adopted in 1984:

"Torture is a deliberate and premeditated attack on a person's psyche, body and dignity carried out by a public official or other person acting with government approval."

Torture Norway now asks readers to pause a minute to think what this means, and see what the Children's Ombudsman characterizes as coercion, actually is described as torture.
We ask readers to feel the painful reality of how it affects a child, daily living under the fear of being subjected to such brutality, without safe places to turn.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture specifies the use of coercion in psychiatry:

"The Special Rapporteur on Torture in March 2013 called for an absolute ban on non-consensual psychiatric interventions, including restraint, solitary confinement, and non-consensual administration of electroshock, psychosurgery and mind-altering drugs such as neuroleptics.  He also urged repeal of legal provisions authorizing confinement and compulsory treatment in mental health settings, and said that detention on mental health grounds is unjustified."

Aftenposten writes:
"The Ombudsman calls for action to lessen the use of coercion in institutions and mental health care" "It must be immediately done something about this."

What does Lindboe see as an "instant" solution?

"To lessen the use of force, the Ombudsman asks for clearer rules on when it is okay to use coercion, better skills and knowledge of personnel and sufficient resources for child welfare."
"The Ombudsman points out joint institutions for children who need help from child welfare and health care as a solution"

How long is it estimated that such a restructuring will take? Will these measures lessen the use of inhuman treatment of children, as requested by the Ombudsman?

How many children will be victims of inhuman treatment that puts their lives in danger, while we are waiting?
Note that the goal is more resources to "child protection", and lessening the use of tactics that attacks a child's human dignity.
According to the Convention against Torture, torture and inhuman, cruel and degrading treatment of people is not accepted to occur whatsoever, and that no one should be subjected to such treatment, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. Still, the Ombudsman says that it must be defined when such tactics can be used, and she wishes to lessen the use she believes is excessive, instead of focusing on abolishing degrading treatment of children as such.
The most important question remaining, is:

How many children have already lost their lives due to different torture tactics, defined by the Ombudsman as coersion, as strapping the child with belts, as the article already mentions?

Furthermore, the Convention says that persons responsible for the inhuman,  cruel and degrading acts, should be prosecuted, and victims must be ensured redress. The Convention also mentions that the authorities should be educated to understand that such treatment should not occur. It also stresses that everyone can be held personally responsible for such actions, although acting under orders from a superior.

In addition to having committed as State Party to the Torture Convention, to abide by the Convention, Norway has ratified the Additional Protocol to the Torture Convention, which allows a special rapporteur to pay visits at institutions.

Torture Norway urges all human rights organizations in Norway to report all use of torture and inhuman, cruel and degrading treatment, especially of children.

It is not only the Convention against Torture that explains torture.
According to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, systematic use of torture, constitutes crimes against humanity.
Cases of degrading and cruel treatment of children and adults in Norway, occurred after 2001, can and should be reported to the International Criminal Court, as evidence of the systematic use of torture against children as well as adults. Testimonies and other evidence can be sent to:

The International Criminal Court
Information and Evidence Unit
Office of the Prosecutor
Post Office Box 19519
2500 CM The Hague
The Netherlands


Note that all complicity in such acts are criminal offenses under international law.
Remember to include the name and occupation, if known, of all who have contributed to torture and inhuman, cruel and degrading treatment of fellow human beings.
 
Many concerned parents have experienced the unthinkable: When reporting evidence on offenses against children in state custody to the police and the agency called for child protection, such inquiries are in too many cases dismissed, even with clear evidence, indicating a deliberate and long term state plan oppression.
When governments fail to protect citizens against torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, it is a violation of the Convention against Torture.
When the police systematically fails to investigate cases of abuse, it is an internationally accepted reason to seek asylum in other countries, as for other human rights violations.

The Children's Ombudsman Anne Lindboe shows that there are uncertainties surrounding the use of what she calls coercion, in foster care.
"There is little information about the use of force in foster care. The Ombudsman is concerned about the legal rights of children and foster-parents because the laws are poorly regulated here."
It is evident  that the Ombudsman believes violations of the Convention against Torture may be permitted in foster care, with the right  legislation.
How this can possibly affect the legal rights of foster-parents involved, is not mentioned, but the Ombudsman's message to concerned parents, who have had their children arbitrarily taken from them, to be placed illegally in state custody, where they are in too many cases subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, is clear:

"Adults should withstand being trampled a little on their toes."
(Quote from  Aftenposten, article by Lene Skogstrøm, June 1st, 2015)