The Social Welfare Committee in Bjuv Municipality is criticised for its processing of a letter to a child in care pursuant to the Care of Young Persons (Special Provisions) Act

Summary of the decision: A social welfare committee opened and read a letter sent to a three-year-old child who was in foster care pursuant to the Care of Young Persons (Special Provisions) Act (1990:52). The envelope stated that the letter was sent by a bank.

The Parliamentary Ombudsman notes that there is nothing to suggest that the committee needed to act as a matter of urgency in this case, nor were there any other circumstances that gave the committee cause to open the letter without first consulting the child’s parent/guardian. This is especially true given that it was clear that the letter came from a bank and was therefore highly likely to concern financial matters over which the committee had no authority to decide. The Parliamentary Ombudsman criticises the committee for its processing of the letter.