The social services' responsibility for victims of violence etc.

Christian Carlsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Sweden shall be a country where every child gets to grow up in safety. It is also safety for the children that best lays the foundation for a safe society.

For most of us, the family and the home is a place where we are met with love and care, where we get to develop and where we have the opportunity to feel safest. But for all too many, the home is instead a place characterized by threats and violence.

It is hard to take in, and it hurts to think about, that many children cry themselves to sleep because of fear of someone in the family, who should provide safety. Many women in our country are forced to make up over their bruises after being beaten by a man who once said that he loves her. All too many men choose to hit and exercise violence.

Violence in close relationships causes harm, and it leaves deep marks and even scars that one is forced to live with long afterwards. Violence in close relationships is also particularly serious because it involves an extra large betrayal to be subjected to violence within the family. It is a betrayal that damages the security and trust particularly deeply in the one who is subjected to it.

Mr. Speaker! Stricter sentences for rapists and for those who assault their wife and children or commit other acts of violence and sexual offenses is a self-evident matter for me. In the same way as the bulk discount for serial criminals should be removed, repeat offenders need to be punished more severely so that more crime victims can receive redress and justice is served in our courts.

We Christian Democrats have been persistent in making it possible to issue more and more extensive restraining orders as well as to use ankle bracelets in more cases to protect women and children. It is also important for us Christian Democrats that we do more so that social services can take their responsibility to help these women and children exposed to violence to safety. The measures must come early in the form of more family centers and family support programs and expanded home visit programs. We have developed new national guidelines for detecting violence against children.

We Christian Democrats often speak about the family, because we understand the importance of the family. That is why it is a particularly important issue for the Christian Democrats to counter violence in close relationships and to strengthen the support for women and children who are victims of violence. But to strengthen the protection for women and children and to counter violence in close relationships is also a particularly important issue for the entire government.

For the first time ever, Sweden now has a national high-level council against violence against women led by the Prime Minister, the Minister for Justice, the Minister for Social Affairs and other key actors. It is called the Council for Women's Peace, and its goal is that violence against women shall not only decrease but cease.

As late as yesterday, Social Minister Jakob Forssmed, Social Services Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall, and others held a press conference where the government presented new initiatives for women's safety and freedom. It was announced that the government is investing an extra 20 million kronor in the autumn budget to intensify the work against men's violence against women. This is done, among other things, through a national campaign against deadly violence against women to increase public knowledge on how deadly violence can be prevented and stopped.

It is also about a reinforcement of the National Board of Health and Welfare's work to counter violence against women by improving support for women exposed to violence and strengthening the preventive work. An initiative is also being made to prevent sexual violence among individuals who are prone to violence.

Not least, it is also about strengthening opportunities for stable housing for those affected by violence by long-term strengthening and developing the municipalities' work when they offer those affected by violence help to arrange stable housing after, for example, a stay at a protected residence.

Several other important reforms have been implemented during the mandate period. The social services have received a clearer preventive mandate with the new Social Services Act. Questions about violence shall be asked more actively – not only when it is suspected, but as part of normal case management. Violence shall be detected earlier so that women and children are not forced to suffer in silence.

Protected housing has now been written in as a separate measure in the Social Services Act, which strengthens the rights of those exposed to violence and makes the municipalities' responsibilities clearer. A historical change is that the government ensures that children now receive an entirely separate assessment before moving to a protected residence. They receive their own investigation and a separate decision from the social services based on their own needs. The government has also reviewed the right of access to children so that children no longer have to meet a violent parent during their stay.

From 1 April 2024, a permit from Ivo is required to operate protected housing. The requirements for security, quality, and competence have been tightened with the aim of keeping the unserious actors out and strengthening the protection for the women and children exposed to violence.

Mr. Speaker! Let me conclude by saying something about the culture of honor and the violence and oppression that that kind of culture has brought to Sweden. Violence in the name of honor is, in fact, a particularly brutal form of oppression. It is a form of violence in close relationships, but it is also systematic, and there is a collective norm and acceptance behind it all that upholds the violence.

We have received parallel societies of exclusion in Sweden where Islamism and honor oppression have taken root. There, girls of preschool age are forced to wear veils so as not to arouse desire in men, and older siblings are sent to spy so that boys do not play with girls or vice versa. It is our responsibility to uproot that kind of culture, for the honor culture and its violence do not belong in Sweden.

We Christian Democrats have therefore been proactive in ensuring that regional resource centers against honor violence are built around the country, similar to those that have existed for a time in Stockholm County. We want to do this to strengthen the support for boys and girls who are forced to live under honor oppression, and I am grateful that the government is now allocating funds to do just this. I am also grateful for the 100 million that the government adds annually to strengthen the municipalities' work against honor oppression.

It is important to protect the children but also because there is a battle over values taking place in Sweden that must be won. We Christian Democrats will continue to stand up for our view of humanity, which is about all people's equal value, personal freedom, moral responsibility as well as equality between women and men.

The Christian Democrats were formed to defend this view of humanity, built on Christian ethics and Western humanism, which once built Sweden strong. We are still prepared to defend our values.

When a child tiptoes in their own home to avoid risking being subjected to violence and cries secretly because dad hits mom, when women are beaten bloody and forced to flee from their home in the middle of the night, or when a girl's freedom is restricted by honor norms, we want to be there and stand on the side of the vulnerable.

The Christian Democrats will continue to combat honor oppression, strengthen children's safety, and stop men's violence against women. I look forward to doing so together with all good forces inside and outside this chamber with the ambition that every woman, every girl, and every boy shall be able to live in safety in Sweden.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Gustaf Lantz (S)

Mr. Speaker! Men's violence against women is not lightning bolts from a clear sky. Already from preschool, the clouds begin to gather. Children are molded into roles. Boys develop a way of talking about girls and girls about boys. These glasses they then also look at themselves with.

Many do what they can so that we can move beyond established patterns. We parents can strengthen the children's self-esteem and safeguard privacy, but we also receive very good support from Swedish preschool, this jewel of Swedish welfare. "Stop! My body!" did not exist when I was little. Now every child knows the concept. Staff in Swedish preschool change the world every day with their work. They give boys and girls tools to define themselves – what a joy for us parents!

The internet, however, is full of clouds of worry – bellicose, boastful, and inflated influencers who talk about how feminism has gone too far and that one has a right to female bodies, as well as men who hate and incite against women in groups. At the same time, politicians on the right wing use gender pedagogy as a pejorative.

Mr. Speaker! For me, all of you who liberate people from destructive ideas about what it means to be a boy, girl, man or woman are important for everyone's future. Thank you for your important work!

When I speak with my female friends about their childhoods, similar stories emerge. There was catcalling in corridors and at festivals. People were called whore and slut. It was an environment that often equated jealousy with romance and relationships with controlling behaviors, sometimes even hitting.

These are not lightning bolts from a clear sky but a cloud of sexism that takes different forms in different strengths. It is not just isolated incidents but parts of something larger, a structure that exists in all cultures to varying degrees.

The key to seriously preventing men's violence against women is that we can together see and change these structures – parents, preschool staff, sports leaders, friends and legislators. We must remind ourselves, each other and our children that we must never get used to violence and sexism.

Mr. Speaker! Thanks to research, we know more and more about how extensive the violence is in young people's relationships. According to the Gender Equality Authority, almost every third youth up to 15 years of age with experience of a romantic relationship has experienced violence in it. Between the ages of 15 and 19, the figure is 50 percent. We also know how harmful this is for the affected girls long after the relationship has ended.

The social services often enter at a late stage in this spiral of violence. The solutions are often of an emergency nature. However, when we discuss the social services' interventions for those affected by violence, we must never believe that these interventions are the entire solution regarding men's violence against women. The one who is hit must be protected and the one who hits must be punished, but we must all work together to change the attitudes that precede kicks and blows.

Mr. Speaker! Society needs to be at its strongest when the individual is at their most vulnerable. When a man has bit by bit dismantled a woman's life, society must be able to give the woman the strength and opportunity to bit by bit rebuild that life again.

It is too difficult today to leave a violent relationship. It is unnecessarily difficult. We as a society must step up.

Today, too much responsibility is often placed on the woman who is a victim of violence. To leave a violent relationship often requires a move, but for many, finances become an obstacle. We therefore believe that the government should review the issue of introducing a domestic violence support [kvinnofridsstöd] in cases of violence in close relationships. It should not be a matter of money whether the step away from an everyday life with violence can be taken.

Mr. Speaker! For the women and children who can no longer stay at home, society shall provide safe, protected housing where they are received by people who understand what they are being subjected to. The new legislation on protected housing implies an important and necessary modernization, particularly of the view on children and children's rights. Higher requirements are also now placed on the actors who operate protected housing, including when it comes to permits.

At the same time as the reform is fundamentally positive, there is a concern that the changes may pose risks to the unique activities of the women's shelters. The women's shelters and civil society must be protected, while measures are taken to shut out unserious actors.

Mr. Speaker! Profit interest has laid itself like a wet blanket over many activities in Sweden. The market is fantastic when it comes to manufacturing cars, buns, and bath balls, but not when we as a society are to help women get back on their feet after having suffered violence in a close relationship.

An operations manager should not ask the question: How can I make a profit from this battered woman? The question should instead be: How can we use our resources in the best way to help a fellow human being in need? All outsourced operation of protected housing should therefore be reserved for idea-based organizations. Then the activities of women's shelters and civil society would be safeguarded and the protection for the women who are placed would be ensured. We demand that the government returns with such a proposal.

Mr. Speaker! When someone has finally left a relationship or when a man has finally been sentenced, unfortunately, the violence is often not over. We therefore believe that women who have been victims of crime should themselves be able to choose how they wish to receive information before perpetrators are granted permission or released. The women should be able to choose to receive this information via the municipality's social services. The information can then be combined with an offer of help and support from society, for example from the women's shelter, the crime victim support, psychiatry, or the municipality's relation team. The Government should review this issue, as this can prove to be completely life-saving for women living under threat and violence.

Mr. Speaker! Many individuals live under dark clouds of hate and violence in close relationships. However, we all live in the same climate regarding the view on men, women, power and violence – a climate we all are part of and influence. Here we – individuals and society – can make a difference. Call it feminism, awareness or just humanism, but think about it anyway!

In conclusion, I would like to move for the approval of reservation 7.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Christian Lindefjärd (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I would first like to express my approval of the committee's proposal for a decision.

The subject we are debating today is actually a subject that should never need to be debated. In a safe and decent society, we know that violence is never a solution. Yet here we stand. It says something serious about our contemporary time.

I want to share a personal experience.

Many years ago, I worked as a taxi driver. One evening, I picked up a couple in a suburb outside Stockholm. Everything seemed calm and good. They got into the car, and everything was very pleasant – peace and joy. They said goodbye to those who had helped them carry [their luggage]. But during the journey, something changed. The man became increasingly unpleasant, increasingly jealous.

Suddenly on Nynäsvägen, I saw in the rearview mirror how he was about to hit her. I swerved and shouted: "What are you doing?"

The atmosphere became ice-cold, and the aggression was naturally directed at me. When I dropped them off at Kungsholmen, he continued to shout insults at me.

But what stuck was not what he said to me, but it was the thought of what happened afterwards. I sat in the car and wondered: What happens when the door is closed? What happens when no one sees anymore?

That night has never left me. Every time I pass that house, I think about that evening and what happened. Unfortunately, the technology was not developed in terms of mobile numbers and seeing exactly who had called; then I would have obviously called the police. But that was not possible at that time.

Mr. Speaker! This happened in a prosperous area. But violence in close relationships knows no boundaries, and it exists in all social classes, in all residential areas, behind all types of facades.

We must also not forget that men can also be vulnerable. It is a dark figure that we rarely speak about. There, the shame and the silence are great, and many men feel ashamed in that situation.

But regardless of who is affected, the same thing applies: No human being should have to live in fear in their own home. Leaving a destructive relationship is not easy. It can involve years of control, fear, and economic dependence. Therefore, society must be there – clearly, strongly, and on the victim's side.

Mr. Speaker! It must pay to report a crime. All too often we hear that it is one person's word against another's. But if we do not report it, nothing happens. We must dare to break the silence, and we must say it clearly: Help is available.

The new Social Services Act is a step in the right direction. It will involve more preventive work, greater accessibility, and a clearer child rights perspective. When it comes to children, we must be uncompromising. It is better to report once too often than once too few. Every time a child is harmed and it is not detected, it is a failure for all of us. Christmas Eve should be a day of joy – not a day of worry over whether a parent is sober or if the violence will return once again.

Mr. Speaker! The women's shelters make an invaluable contribution every day, in the whole country, from Ystad to Haparanda. The efforts are often voluntary, often with small resources, but with an enormous commitment.

The new rules for protected housing, with a permit requirement from the Inspectorate for Health and Care, are important. They strengthen quality, safety, and supervision. But we must also be attentive to the consequences. When the regulations are tightened, smaller actors risk facing difficulties. At the same time, we know that the need for protection does not decrease. Therefore, the municipalities need to become better at cooperating, also across borders. Protection should not be determined by zip code.

When this legislation has had time to take effect, we must evaluate it, and we must be prepared to adjust it – always with a focus on the one who needs the protection.

And let me conclude by saying this clearly: The one who hits their partner or their children does not only betray them, but they betray the entire society. And no, one is no man when one hits.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Maj Karlsson (V)

Mr. Speaker! I want to begin this debate with great seriousness. The situation for women and children subjected to violence has not been so serious in many years. We are in an acute situation that we must take with the utmost seriousness. The Riksdag has made political decisions that have not had the intended consequences. Now we must do it over and do it right.

No one in here is unaware that men's violence against women is one of the greatest threats in our society. We all know that Socialstyrelsen estimates that nearly 75,000 women are subjected to men's violence every year in Sweden. On average, 15–20 women are killed per year by a man they have or have had a relationship with. This corresponds to approximately one woman every third week. Still, it does not stop there.

Reviews show that this figure does not make visible that there may be closer to 100 additional women who take their lives every year because the violence becomes unbearable. Closer to 30 percent of all suicide attempts among women are linked to violence in intimate relationships. We also know that the Swedish Crime Prevention Council estimates that up to 40,000 assault crimes against women are reported every year and around 9,000 rapes against women and girls. This means that more than one rape is reported every hour, around the clock, all year round.

It is also no secret that approximately every fourth girl in grade 9 who has or has had a relationship reports that they have been subjected to violence by a partner. At the same time, Brå estimates that around 80 percent of all violence against women and girls is never reported to the police.

Mr. Speaker! This is the reality that women and girls live in every day, all year round, and every hour of the day. Behind every figure is a human being, a woman whose home is her most dangerous place, a child who is forced to grow up in trauma and crisis, a life that is progressively restricted by violence, a life that is a true nightmare.

With all the knowledge we have, we would think that society is doing everything in its power to stop the violence. But the latest death investigation shows once again, in black and white, that is not the case, neither for women nor for children.

What emerges clearly is that the violence almost never comes suddenly. Many of the women have previously been subjected to violence, threats, or control in the relationship. Despite this, they usually do not receive sufficient protection. In several cases, they have been in contact with social services, health and medical care, or the police. But the exposure to violence is not detected clearly enough, or it does not lead to powerful measures.

The report also shows that when women do seek help, deficient investigations are often conducted. Interventions are not initiated in time or are not followed up. This means that the violence can continue and, in some cases, escalate to deadly violence. A decisive conclusion is therefore that the problem is not primarily that the risks are unknown, but that society does not act clearly enough on the signals that already exist.

Women have often lived with violence for a long time before the most serious incident occurs, but the protection has not functioned. This is a societal betrayal that is unparalleled in any other policy area. Women and children are murdered, even though society knew that something was seriously wrong.

Mr. Speaker! It is against that background that we must see the development we see today. The legislation on permit requirements and strengthened protection for children that the Riksdag implemented at the government's proposal in order to strengthen safety has, in practice, had the opposite effect, in a situation where we already do not provide protection. The investigation that formed the basis for the decisions became no window of opportunity. Instead, it became a narrow door to an even higher threshold to get over. Today, historically few children receive protection in protected housing.

The government's introduction of the permit requirement would increase quality, but instead, it has led to fewer women and children receiving protection. Socialstyrelsen's latest report shows that neither the permit requirement nor the new rules for children have had the intended consequences. Protected residences have closed or are in transition. Places have disappeared. The municipalities in Norrbotten and Gävleborg have no residences at all. The government is actively displacing the enormous knowledge that the duty-of-care movement possesses. At the same time, the uncertainty in the legislation has led to municipalities interpreting the rules on children's rights differently. In some cases, decisions are delayed, and in others, other interventions are chosen, despite violence occurring. Their needs are not fully made visible, and their right to protection risks not becoming a reality.

So, it is not about fewer women and children needing protection, but about the system not functioning as it should. We must take responsibility for that.

Mr. Speaker! Now we see how the voluntary shelters, those that for decades have built up protection, knowledge, and trust for women and children exposed to violence, are being pushed back. The voluntary shelters do not exist for their own sake in the way that the government often defends actors who want to make a profit. No, they exist for the women and for the children. It is there that women in crisis have received support, protection, and a way out of the violence. It is there that people with long experience of what is actually needed in time, in treatment, and in interventions that work in reality have been met.

But when the system opens up more for market logic, where men's violence against women in practice becomes an activity to be run with requirements for permits and competition, then it risks affecting precisely these activities, exactly what we see happening right now.

We should perhaps learn something from the fact that the politics did not take the women's shelters' experiences and warnings seriously in the reform work. Then the result was wrong. It was not because they lacked knowledge, competence or quality, but it was because their knowledge did not gain traction. Now we see the consequences, namely that women and children have found it more difficult to get help. It is literally life-threatening.

That is also why we must be prepared to rethink today. The volunteer watchdogs have sounded the alarm loudly about what is about to happen. This time, we cannot afford not to listen.

Mr. Speaker! This is not a situation for prestige or for defending previous decisions. This is a situation for accountability. When a reform does not function as intended and in practice leads to fewer women and children receiving protection, we must act. Therefore, we propose a committee initiative. We believe that the permit requirement must be frozen immediately until we know that there is a solution and that the protection for women and children exposed to violence does not continue to be weakened.

We need to restore the focus on what is crucial: that women and children get access to protection in time and without unnecessary obstacles, and that the operations that function in practice are given the opportunity to continue their work. And of course, children shall generally be placed with their mother. I therefore appeal to all parties that we should now come together and ensure that we save the protection and support for women and children.

Mr. Speaker! In recent years, between 30 and 50 people have died in gang-related violence every year. These are appalling figures. And they have been met with powerful political action. But because of men's violence against women, as many as 130 people can die every year. Still, the political mobilization does not come anywhere near that which applies to gang-related violence, even though we now know that the government can do it if it only wants to. It is not acceptable.

We in Vänsterpartiet believe that the work against men's violence against women must be built on long-term perspective, coordination, and real access to protection. We therefore also push for demands for long-term funding of women's shelters, more and better protected housing, as well as strengthened support throughout the entire justice chain.

We also want society to become better at detecting violence in a timely manner through healthcare, school, and social services, and that the preventive work should be strengthened. At the same time, we see a great need for better coordination. Today, the responsibility is split between different actors, which risks leading to women and children falling through the cracks. We want to see a more cohesive structure with regional resource centers and a national coordination center linked to the Gender Equality Authority. Therefore, I want to move for approval of reservation 6.

I want to emphasize that behind every figure there is a human being. There is a life marked by fear, control, and restrictions. Sometimes it is a child growing up in insecurity. In the worst cases, it is a life that we have failed to save.

Let us ensure that women and children receive the protection they need, not in theory but in reality. Let us show that the work against men's violence against women is not just something we talk about, but an area where we act with force.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Malin Höglund (M)

Mr. Speaker! Today we are debating the Social Services' responsibility for those subjected to violence, etc. Violence in close relationships is one of the most acute societal challenges we have. The Moderates have for a long time clearly stated that it is the state's and society's responsibility to protect those who are subjected to violence. The Social Services are a central actor in this work.

In the report, several important issues are raised regarding the responsibility of social services. The Moderates want to emphasize here both the need for clarity in the responsibility and the concrete investments that the government has made in the area. I would like to vote in favor of the committee's proposal.

Mr. Speaker! Firstly, it is about safety and accessibility. We believe that it should not matter where in Sweden you live. Everyone exposed to violence must have access to support and protection. The government has therefore invested in strengthening the social services' resources, among other things through targeted state grants to the municipalities for more protected housing and shorter processing times, because time is often decisive for those fleeing violence. Furthermore, the government has proposed a national follow-up of the social services' interventions to ensure equality across the entire country.

Mr. Speaker! Secondly, competence and approach are central. Social services personnel must have the right education to be able to meet people who have been subjected to physical and psychological violence. The Government's proposal includes expanded training and specializations within social services, including knowledge of honor-related violence and violence in same-sex relationships. This is complemented by national guidelines and methodological support that provide social services with concrete tools to meet those affected by violence in a professional and respectful manner.

A third focus is children's rights. Children who witness violence in the home are themselves crime victims and need their own support. The government has therefore invested in more child-specific interventions within social services and support programs that make it possible for children to process their experiences and feel safe.

The child's perspective shall be central in all exercise of public authority and in every decision concerning families affected by violence. This also includes national support to schools and student health to be able to identify and support children who are subjected to or have witnessed violence.

Mr. Speaker! Furthermore, cooperation between authorities is a key issue. Those subjected to violence must not fall between the cracks. The Government has therefore strengthened cooperation between social services, the police, healthcare, and the justice system, among other things through common routines and national cooperation programs that facilitate information sharing and clarify the distribution of responsibilities.

At the same time, the Moderaterna want to remind that the social services work under great demands and with limited resources. Resources and guidelines must go hand in hand. The government's investments in increased funds, skills development, and national governance are clear examples of how one can combine responsibility with concrete tools.

Mr. Speaker! The conclusion is clear. The Social Services' responsibility for those subjected to violence is already strong, but there is still a need to develop the work. The Moderates want to increase national equality for support measures and strengthen competence and specialist knowledge in the Social Services. We want to put the child's perspective at the center of all measures, improve cooperation between authorities, and provide clear resources to the municipalities to translate the legislation into practical action.

Mr. Speaker! The Moderates want to see a society where those affected by violence receive support, protection, and security, and where the government's initiatives continue to ensure that no one needs to feel alone or unprotected. Violence is never acceptable.

The Government and the Moderates want the social services to be ready to act when needed – quickly, safely and efficiently.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Maj Karlsson (V)

Mr. Speaker! Member Malin Höglund! In the Riksdag, we can read today that the government will not freeze the permit requirement. I think it is a deplorable announcement. It is being done even though we now have 34 percent fewer children in our protected residences, and that is not because the violence has decreased and not because they have fewer needs. It is being done even though several municipalities have no residences at all, and that is not because the violence has decreased and not because there is a smaller need.

Over 34 residences operated by the non-profit "jourerna" have been forced to close, even though we know that they are the ones who truly have the knowledge to be able to protect women and children. They have now been forced to close without the government taking action.

My question is therefore: Why does the government not want to guarantee that women and children receive the right protection at the right time?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Malin Höglund (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Member Maj Karlsson for the question. I believe that the government takes this issue most seriously by ensuring that the residences have the right competence. There must be competence for both the woman and the children who accompany her. A special focus is placed on the children; they are not merely accompanying those who are placed, who is most often the mother.

The residences that we have in Sweden shall be safe for the woman. The right competence shall be present, and it shall be good for the children. The residences that do not meet these requirements must close, or one must educate oneself until one has the right competence. It shall simply be a protection for the woman.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Maj Karlsson (V)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the member for the answer, but I am left quite wondering. We know that the volunteer patrols have worked to protect women and children for over 30 years – I believe it is closer to 40 years. It is they who have carried this work for generations. I do not even want to think about what that figure we receive year after year would have looked like without them. I believe the member is just as aware of this as I am.

This is not just about having the right competence. Requirements are being set that are impossible for voluntary on-call services to live up to. What is being done in practice is to displace knowledge and replace it with profit-driven companies. Both I and the member know how it looks in other areas where we demand exactly the same thing, for example HVB homes. It has not been a pleasure to read about it.

We know that the activities, competence, and the protection offered by the voluntary crisis lines is what women need in a crisis. But now the government is displacing their activities. I really want to know why one is not prepared to freeze the licensing requirement and ensure that a system is established that allows us to guarantee quality but also ensure that those who have carried this quality for generations can continue their activities.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Malin Höglund (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Member Maj Karlsson for the questions.

I have visited very many women's shelters over the years, which the member has surely also done. I did so particularly when I was a municipal councilor in Mora and was the chairman of the social welfare committee. There are both good and bad women's shelters. In one municipality, I visited a shelter where it was basically the case that someone met the woman at the door, said "here you go, here is a food bag," and left. We should not have such women's shelters. We should have women's shelters that are supportive and provide help. A woman should not have to be left alone at a women's shelter with a bag of food when she might be arriving beaten by her husband; instead, there must be competence. That is why a permit requirement is needed. There must be a protection for the woman.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Christofer Bergenblock (C)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Member Malin Höglund for the presentation.

The Chairman mentions that timing is crucial when someone subjected to violence decides to leave their destructive relationship, and so it is. Sometimes the window is very small once one has decided to do so. At the same time, there are things that make leaving difficult. People who decide to leave such a relationship are already in a vulnerable situation from the start, with physical violence, psychological violence and controlling behavior, but also with economic violence.

Centerpartiet has for a very long time championed the issue of establishing a national exit program. The government has on paper taken up that issue and introduced an exit program. But the exit program presented by the government and the responsible minister is largely a repackaging of existing policy. What is missing in the exit program is the possibility of economic freedom. The lack of such can be one of the factors that makes one not dare to leave a destructive relationship.

That is why the Center Party has proposed that a surrender fee should be introduced and has also provided funds for this. The member mentions that the government provides municipalities and regions with funds in the form of state grants. But money is also needed directly for the person who is subject to violence so that they dare to use that window, when the time is so crucial. How is it that the Moderates and the government do not prioritize giving a surrender fee directly to the person subject to violence?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Malin Höglund (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Member Christofer Bergenblock very much for the question. Just as the Member mentions, the window is often very narrow. When should a woman dare to leave a relationship? Does she dare to take the children with her? Should she do it at the pickup from the preschool? Should she do it at the pickup from the school? Many women also go back to a relationship after having left it a first time.

The new Social Services Act is better in many ways. There are opportunities for women to receive support and help from, among other things, women's shelters. It does not always have to take place in one's own municipality – one can be placed in another municipality.

Economic violence naturally also plays a role. But I think the social services already work in this way today – they ensure that there is security for the woman regarding both protection and finances.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Christofer Bergenblock (C)

Mr. Speaker! It has turned out that precisely that economic violence is quite often a decisive factor in connection with leaving – but also after leaving in the form of the post-violence that often occurs upon breaking up from this form of destructive relationships. The economic violence is often based on the perpetrator man having taken complete control over the household's finances – the woman has no money of her own or any opportunities to manage without her husband.

That is why it has been so important for us in Centerpartiet to highlight the issue of introducing pure financial support for those who need such support in order to be able to leave a relationship. We know that this is one of the factors that makes one hesitate to leave.

Therefore, we see it as reasonable to offer a severance payment as part of a more comprehensive severance program. A severance program naturally includes coordinated efforts from society. Police, social services, healthcare, and so on coordinate, so that the individual does not need to have contact with each one but can receive help with their interactions with authorities and be given the opportunity to move to a protected residence. But in many cases, one also needs financial support, which provides economic freedom and the opportunity to leave the relationship.

Today, the Moderates and the government do not support our proposal. But I hope that this is an issue they take with them moving forward. One must see both physical and mental as well as economic violence.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Malin Höglund (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Member Christofer Bergenblock for the remark, which in fact did not contain any question but was merely a repetition of what the Member had previously said. I repeat myself in the same way: The new Social Services Act is better, because it is in step with the times. It shall be a protection for women and children. There is plenty of help to be had, I believe, even if there is no compensation payment. The social services have these issues on their table.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Christofer Bergenblock (C)

Mr. Speaker! Initially, I move for approval of reservation 4 under point 2 in the report.

Every year, 75,000 women are subjected to violence in a relationship, and 15–20 women are murdered every year by their partner. One in ten children grows up in a home where violence occurs, and 25,000 children are subjected annually to some form of abuse.

Violence is found in all parts of society. It exists in working-class homes and academic homes, with the immigrant family and the Swedish-born family, in our large cities and in our rural areas, with the newly-formed family with children and with the aging couple. The common denominator is that in the vast majority of cases, the violence is committed by a man, a guy, an old man. Men's violence against women must come to an end.

From the Center Party's side, I want to highlight three important measures in the work to stop men's violence against women.

Firstly, society must become much better at detecting when someone is living in a violence-prone environment.

Secondly, we really need to establish a national transition program that also includes a transition payment.

Thirdly, the post-violence must be stopped, not least the economic [post-violence].

Despite that we know how many are subjected to violence in their relationships and in their families every year, society's institutions are still very poor at identifying and noticing the violence. Therefore, systematic and evidence-based methods were needed that can be used within social services, schools, healthcare, and the state authorities. We see that that need extends throughout life.

There needs to be a systematic approach to screening for exposure to violence in various contacts with society. Within maternal care, it has long been established to ask questions and look for signs of whether someone is being subjected to violence by their partner. Just as clearly, it must be within BVC, in preschool, and in the school world.

We therefore want to see a national program for trauma screening. For example, we mean that school health services should have a national mandate to screen students to detect violence directed at children and young people or if they live in a violence-exposed environment. Violence can exist within the family, in a relationship, in school, or in their free time. School health services have a unique opportunity to detect the violence, and that opportunity must be utilized.

Within the framework of the school's work, it is also necessary to work against honor-related violence. This concerns child marriages, controlling behaviors, or other crimes against children's peace. Much has been done here, but there is still more to do. More education, better cooperation, and action plans in all schools are some of the measures that need to be developed.

Violence in close relationships is unfortunately not something that ceases with age, but it is often something that accompanies a person throughout their entire life. Therefore, society must also become better at detecting violence even among our elderly. From the Center Party's side, we have demanded the introduction of an elderly healthcare program which shall, among other things, include health consultations. Screening for violence in the health consultations must be an important part. But naturally, home care staff and staff at special housing must also have the opportunity to notice the violence. Violence does not end just because one gets older.

Mr. Speaker! The most dangerous step a woman facing violence can take is to decide to leave. At the same time, it is also the most important step. For that very reason, society must respond and be there when someone decides. To support this, the Center Party has for several years championed the issue of a national exit program. Receiving unified and coordinated support from society once one has decided to leave a dangerous relationship is absolutely crucial. It is good that the government is also talking about exit programs, but the meaning of it must become much more concrete.

What we mean is that the person who leaves a destructive relationship shall receive coordinated support from society where relevant authorities such as the police, social services, the Swedish Tax Agency, and healthcare cooperate. The individual shall have the right to access a protected residence and, if necessary, have the right to a national severance payment to strengthen their economic autonomy.

Often the breakups are abrupt, and it is also common for the perpetrator of violence to have economic control over their partner. We also want to see a national housing queue for those affected by violence so that they can more quickly gain access to a safe home that enables them to have the strength to leave their relationship.

For many who flee a violent relationship, a protected residence is required as a first place of stay. The change that the Riksdag implemented this year was fundamentally good. It was about the society taking responsibility to ensure that protected residences are available, that the quality of the residences is secured, and that children should receive their own decision regarding their protection.

Unfortunately, the result has been that many private accommodations have not been granted permission, that some parts of the country completely lack accommodations, and that some women refrain from seeking asylum if they do not know that the children are allowed to accompany them. From the Center Party's side, we argue that there is therefore reason to very promptly review the parts of the reform that appear to have failed.

Even for those who leave a violent relationship, the post-violence risks lingering for a long time, especially if one has children together. Centerpartiet therefore wants the Gender Equality Authority to be tasked with mapping the extent of post-violence, that is, offensive or violent acts that occur after a relationship has ended. Post-violence also concerns protracted legal processes and sabotage in connection with the division of property, which often can be used as a form of economic violence against the woman who has decided to leave the relationship.

Mr. Speaker! Men's violence against women must come to an end. It requires a firm grip from the entire society. It requires a social service that is on its toes and works preventively, but it also requires that healthcare, schools, and authorities take their responsibility. It requires that civil society, not least our tjejjourer and kvinnojourer, continue their important work.

It requires that we in politics put even more effort and energy into stopping the violence. No child should be forced to grow up in a violent home, no girl should be restricted in her life because of honor oppression, no woman should be forced to live in a destructive relationship, and no one should have to die from violence from a close relative.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Lina Nordquist (L)

Mr. Speaker! Violence in close relationships is a brutal expression of lack of freedom. It happens behind closed doors, and it can happen daily. We know the consequences both inside and outside the person affected. They are extensive, lifelong, and sometimes fatal.

Mr. Speaker! The state, society, and we elected representatives have a responsibility to protect every person's freedom, bodily integrity, and right to a life without fear. Yet, violence in close relationships is still far too extensive and far too widespread. We know that children who witness this also become crime victims.

We liberals intend to stop the violence. That means we must see it early. We must stop the control, the isolation, and the fear in society wherever they appear. This applies regardless of whether it concerns a teenager in her first relationship or the oldest person in the housing cooperative.

The social services naturally have a key role here. No one should be bounced around between authorities. We must be believed when we speak. The interventions must be decisive, and consideration must be shown for the person who has been affected.

We intend to continue strengthening the responsibility and capacity of the social services, the school, and the healthcare system – of society as a whole – to prevent and protect. And of course, the children shall have their own support, their own protection, and their own voices in every process.

Very important steps are now being taken against violence in close relationships. In addition to a new Social Services Act, a comprehensive action program is currently underway to prevent and combat this – with a focus on better detection, stronger protection, and more knowledge. Support for women's and girls' shelters has been permanently increased to historically high levels. Support for helplines has been strengthened. Work is underway to implement the EU's new directive regarding violence against women and violence in close relationships. Penalties for a number of crimes are being tightened.

Furthermore, we know that children's right to be spared a violent person has been far too weak previously. Children are now given a stronger right. The focus is placed on the child as an independent rights-holder. The possibilities for post-separation violence are about to be significantly countered, not least through a change regarding the reflection period in divorce so that the one who wants to take revenge and punish their partner is not favored.

Furthermore, a council for women's peace has been established by the government to strengthen the long-term and coordinated work of systematically combating violence against women.

Mr. Speaker! We put the crime victim before the perpetrator. It is a total shift in perspective when it comes to the entire field of law and most of all, I would say, when it comes to the area of violence in close relationships.

We want to be able to wiretap and monitor the man who hits – it is usually a man. We do not want these men to be able to continue hitting women in their own homes undisturbed. We want to tighten the penalties. These people simply must not be allowed to continue. They must be locked up, Madam Speaker.

Safety and freedom must belong to each and every one of us. The fight against violence must continue with strength and determination. It is about support, and it is about punishment. It is about early detection. And it is about putting a stop to every blow in this country long before it yields the consequences that we today know it can yield.

With this, I vote in favor of the committee's proposal in the report.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Nils Seye Larsen (MP)

Madam Speaker! Last year, at least twelve women were murdered in Sweden by a man they had a relationship with. The partner, the cohabitant, the husband should have been an obvious source of security in the woman's life, but instead, he, many times after years of physical and psychological torture, ultimately took her life. It is the ultimate consequence of the structural and extensive problem in our society with men's violence against women. In many cases, the violence has been known for a long time. The warning signs have been clear. Still, there has been a failure when it comes to society's responsibility to protect those exposed to violence.

Madam Speaker! The social services have a clear responsibility to provide support and protection to women and children exposed to violence. Despite this, Socialstyrelsen's latest audits from January this year show serious and recurring deficiencies in how this responsibility is fulfilled.

It is about risk assessments not being carried out systematically or not being updated when the situation changes. It is about information on violence not being shared between authorities in a way that provides a holistic picture of the risks. It is about interventions being ended too early or not being followed up despite the violence continuing. And it is about children living in violent homes not being identified as crime victims and therefore not receiving the support they are entitled to.

The National Board of Health and Welfare also points out that there is often a lack of sufficient competence regarding violence in close relationships, especially when it concerns complex situations where there are several risk factors simultaneously, for example mental illness, substance abuse, or previous acts of violence. This leads to dangerous situations being underestimated.

Overall, the reviews show that these are not isolated mistakes but structural deficiencies in how society works with protection for those exposed to violence. When the same types of deficiencies recur in case after case, it means that the system is not functioning as it should.

These are structural deficiencies that must be addressed, and Miljöpartiet demands that the government acts. But the social services must also be given the conditions to fulfill their responsibility – clear guidelines, knowledge support, competence development and, above all, resources. That was why we in our budget made a special investment of 300 million kronor for the social services.

Madam Speaker! In April 2024, new legislation came into force which, among other things, includes a permit requirement for protected housing. We sympathize with the legislation's ambition to stop unserious actors from running protected housing and to provide women in protected housing with the right conditions. But now we see a worrying situation across the country where, above all, idea-driven actors choose not to continue running protected housing due to how the permit requirement is applied.

The legislative changes also mean that children who accompany a guardian to a protected residence receive their own placement decision, which is important from a children's rights perspective. But we can observe that the number of child placements has decreased and that the quality and cooperation within social services between the adult unit, the children's unit, and the social emergency service varies across the country.

Here we need to act. We are open to temporarily freezing the permit requirement for idea-driven actors in order to review the application of the permit requirement and also to review the social services' work with the placement of children in order to strengthen the quality and ensure that it becomes more equitable and well-functioning throughout the country.

Protected housing also needs to receive strengthened economic resources. Therefore, Miljöpartiet wants to make a special investment where the state covers half the cost of placement in protected housing. That system has existed previously in Denmark – with good results.

Madam Speaker! There is a group of women who are victims of violence and who are in an extremely vulnerable situation, and whom I particularly want to highlight. That is also why I move for the approval of our reservation 5. It concerns foreign women who are exploited in prostitution or who have been brought to Sweden through trafficking.

Many of these women are in Sweden under very insecure conditions. They may have been deceived into coming here, forced, or have ended up in exploitation after seeking work. They often live under control, threats, or debt. At the same time, they lack practical access to the support that other victims of violence can receive.

One of the most serious problems is that these women risk being deported even when they are crime victims and in some cases testify in legal proceedings. This means that the person who has been subjected to exploitation not only lacks protection but also risks facing consequences for having sought help.

This creates a situation where women refrain from contacting authorities and refrain from testifying, and thereby leave perpetrators unpunished. This hinders crime fighting and undermines society's opportunities to combat trafficking and gross exploitation.

Furthermore, access to long-term support, especially trauma treatment, is often lacking. Many of these women have been subjected to repeated abuse, violence, and control over a long period. Without qualified support, it is very difficult to get out of the situation and to build a new life. Therefore, we believe that these women should always be given good conditions to receive support, including trauma processing, and that they should be able to participate in, for example, legal processes without fear of being deported.

Madam Speaker! In conclusion: For Miljöpartiet, it is clear that society must be able to protect women and children living with violence in close relationships. This requires that the social services' work becomes more systematic, that risk assessments are taken more seriously, and that cooperation between authorities works in practice. It requires resources, a nationally coordinated effort, and above all, political will.

As long as women continue to be killed by men they have had a relationship with and as long as children grow up in violent homes without receiving the support they need and deserve, it is a societal failure.

(Applause)

In this speech, Mats Berglund (MP) and Maj Karlsson (V) agreed.

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

(Decisions were made under § 13.)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)