Enquiry into the Swedish Police Authority concerning children under arrest or detention who are held in police detention facilities

Summary of the decision: Pursuant to Section 6 a of the Young Offenders (Special Provisions) Act (1964:167), children under arrest or detention may only be held in police detention facilities if it is absolutely necessary. Five police detention facilities were inspected between 2021 and 2023 on behalf of the Parliamentary Ombudsman, with the emphasis on the impact of this provision. The Parliamentary Ombudsman found that there were facilities in which children were routinely held in police cells, and that there were regional disparities in terms of compliance with the provision.

To follow up the issue of children held in police detention facilities, on his own initiative the Parliamentary Ombudsman has reviewed 10 police detention facilities in various parts of the country for a period of one year. The Parliamentary Ombudsman notes that there remain significant discrepancies between police regions regarding how detained children are deprived of their liberty. The overall picture obtained by the Parliamentary Ombudsman is that many police detention facilities are unable to live up to this requirement of the Young Offenders (Special Provisions) Act, primarily due to issues with staffing and premises.

The Parliamentary Ombudsman underlines the importance of the Swedish Police Authority vigorously pursuing its ongoing efforts to restrict the use of cells and other areas in its detention facilities to hold children. The agency needs to ensure that the requirement of the Act is met in all police detention facilities. The Parliamentary Ombudsman finds reason to send a copy of the decision to the Government for information purposes.