A minor is said to have received a violence alarm to protect himself from a student at the same school – Dagsavisen

Dagsavisen has repeatedly been in contact with the Oslo police district to clarify more details in the case, but the police are very reticent with information out of consideration for the people involved, their age and the police’s duty of confidentiality.

• According to sources Dagsavisen has spoken to, earlier this year two boys aged 15 were banned from visiting two underage girls who were both pupils at the same secondary school in Oslo as themselves.
• According to Dagsavisen’s knowledge, one of the two underage girls is said to have also been issued a violence alarm by the police for her own protection. The violence alarm was only active for a short period, and is no longer active.

For visitor bans and violence alarms, see the separate fact frame at the bottom.

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Closed doors

According to Dagsavisen’s knowledge, both of the two boys, who were banned from visiting, should have been involved in the stabbing at Grønland in Oslo on Tuesday 6 February this year, where a fight between five to ten people ended with a man in his late teens being injured .

The Oslo police use violence alarms and restraining orders for minors under the age of 18 in very few cases, but it does occur.

— Håvard Sharma-Sundheim heads the preventive section at the central unit of the Oslo police.

After the stabbing, the police identified three possible perpetrators:

One was looked after by child protection because he was under 15 years old. The other two boys, who were both 15 years old, were remanded in custody later that week for the sake of the investigation.

When the remand for the two 15-year-olds was dealt with in the Oslo district court, the cases went behind closed doors. In one of the cases, the press was also not allowed to be present, even with a ban on minutes and a duty of confidentiality.

According to what Dagsavisen learns, it is these two boys who are said to have been banned from visiting two girls of approximately the same age at a secondary school in Oslo.

Dagsavisen knows which school this applies to, but wishes to anonymize the school for the sake of those involved.

Also read: Sharp increase in violence and threats against staff at Oslo School

Under investigation

Dagsavisen has been in contact with Brit Kjelleberg, who is a lawyer for one of the two 15-year-olds. She does not wish to comment on Dagsavisen’s information:

– I have no comment on this, she says.

Dagsavisen has not been able to get in touch with the lawyer for the other 15-year-old.

Police attorney and prosecuting officer Hanna Kaplon says in an e-mail to Dagsavisen:

– The case is under investigation. Out of consideration for the people involved, the age of the people involved and the police’s duty of confidentiality, this is not a case the police can provide further details on.

According to the police, the threshold for issuing a violence alarm to minors under the age of 18 is high:

– When it comes to violence alarms, it is generally the case that minors should not be responsible for their own safety. Other measures must be considered. There will be an overall assessment of which measures are most appropriate when it comes to the individual case, says Hanna Kaplon to Dagsavisen.

The measures that are implemented are assessed on an ongoing basis. Concretely, an assessment is made of whether the measures are proportionate and function according to the intention.

– It is therefore only exceptionally that mobile violence alarms (MVA.) are issued to minors, states Kaplon.

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Last resort

In front of Dagsavisen, the Norwegian Police Directorate confirms that mobile violence alarms must be the absolute last resort in cases where the safety of minors is in question:

– The same assessments must be made when the person exposed to threats is under 18, but in addition the police must ensure that other measures also work to create security. The measure will be short-lived if it is approved, says Janne Stømner, police inspector in the Norwegian Police Directorate to Dagsavisen.

The professional responsible for violence alarms in the Norwegian Police Directorate estimates to Dagsavisen that on a national basis there are around 20 cases a year where mobile violence alarms are given to minors. The police register does not provide an immediate overview of the age of those who are assigned an alarm.

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Confirms intervention measures

• The police in Oslo are now confirming to Dagsavisen that there are cases where underage pupils at the Oslo School have been banned from visiting other pupils.
• They also confirm that minor school pupils have been assigned a violence alarm for their own safety.

It is very serious if students have to have a violence alarm at school to protect themselves from students in the same school.

— Rune Gulbrandsen, senior advisor at the Children’s Ombudsman

Håvard Sharma-Sundheim heads the preventive section at the central unit of the Oslo police. He does not want to give exact figures for the active use of these highly invasive measures as of today, but says:

– The Oslo police use violence alarms and restraining orders for minors in very few cases, but it does happen. There are around 20 cases in the country where this is used in the age segment we are talking about here. The Oslo police district does not have more cases than the rest of the country, says Sharma-Sundheim to Dagsavisen.

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Culture of silence

According to the section leader, the police are concerned about cases and incidents among young people that involve violence and threats, and the culture of silence that often follows afterwards:

– This is noticeable in questioning. We experience cases where children, young people and parents fail to report offenses committed by young people against young people for fear of reprisals. In such cases, it is particularly important that the police are contacted, says Sharma-Sundheim.

He says that the police are particularly concerned about a trend where parents do not report:

– This can contribute to normalizing crime. If the police don’t get information about the offenses committed, we don’t get to use our toolbox either, emphasizes section leader Håvard Sharma-Sundheim.

The most important thing for us is to look after both pupils and staff in the best possible way.

— Principal at a secondary school in Oslo where a curfew and violence alarm are to be introduced as measures for minors.

He says it is important for the police to make it clear that it is parents, the school and the municipality who are initially responsible for ensuring a good school environment and for clearing up conflicts before they go too far.

– The police must only be notified and involved in the most serious cases and where an offense is committed. We then investigate the cases and implement person-oriented measures. We can also get involved where we see that schools and parents need advice and guidance, says Håvard Sharma-Sundheim, head of the prevention section at the center unit of the Oslo police.

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The headmaster is silent

Dagsavisen has spoken to the principal of the secondary school in question where a curfew and violence alarm are to be used for a minor pupil.

– For the sake of those involved, I cannot say anything about this specific case. In general, we have good routines for what to do if incidents occur at school, writes the principal in an SMS to Dagsavisen.

If pupils have to use the violence alarm at school, then it is obvious that they are not safe.

— Rune Gulbrandsen, senior adviser at the Children’s Ombudsman.

The headmaster also points out that a good preparedness plan has been drawn up through SALTO – which is Oslo municipality’s and Oslo police district’s cooperation model for coordinating and co-ordinating the drug and crime prevention work towards children and young people.

The plan describes, among other things, measures, who will be involved, responsibility and evaluation after the incident.

– The most important thing for us is to look after both pupils and staff in the best possible way, and ensure that everyone gets good information, says the headmaster to Dagsavisen.

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The children’s ombudsman reacts

Rune Gulbrandsen is a senior adviser at the Children’s Ombudsman. He reacts strongly to Dagsavisen’s information:

– It is very serious if students have to have a violence alarm at school to protect themselves from students at the same school, says Gulbrandsen, who emphasizes that the Children’s Ombudsman is not aware of this specific case, and is therefore speaking on a general basis.

– The right to feel safe and well at school is the most important right students have at school. All children and young people must go to school, therefore it is the school’s responsibility to ensure that they are well during school time.

– If students have to use the violence alarm at school, then it is obvious that they are not safe. Then the school must find suitable measures that secure the student’s school environment, says Rune Guldbrandsen in an e-mail to Dagsavisen.

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– Forced relocation should be considered

He points out how the Education Act gives authority to forcibly move pupils to another school in order to ensure other pupils’ right to a safe school environment. Dagsavisen has not been able to finally confirm whether it has been relevant in this case.

– There should be a high threshold for forcibly moving pupils, but in cases involving serious threats and violence it should be considered, emphasizes the senior advisor.

Like the police, he believes that violence and threats of violence at school must be prevented through systematic work with routines both in the municipality and at the individual school.

– Such situations destroy everyday school life for both pupils and teachers. Pupils who are involved must be followed up and measures put in place must be evaluated, emphasizes Rune Gulbrandsen at the Children’s Ombudsman.

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– Changing schools, a possibility

Dagsavisen has asked the Education Agency in Oslo municipality some key questions about the case.

– What can you say about the problem of visitor bans, violence alarms and contact bans for students at the same or nearby schools in Oslo?

– We have students in Oslo School with a curfew and violence alarm.

– All pupils must receive a school offer from us. We are keen to find good solutions in these matters, and have a close dialogue with pupils and parents. If the students involved go to the same school, switching schools may be a relevant solution, division director Marianne Mette Stenberg replies in an e-mail to Dagsavisen.

– When things like this happen, what do you do – what measures are taken?

– We support the schools in these processes, to together ensure that all pupils get a school offer. The PPT service, the learning environment team and our lawyers can often be involved. We are concerned that the students themselves should be heard in these processes, and that we have a collaboration with actors outside the school, such as the district and the police, says Marianne Mette Stenberg in the Education Agency.

She does not wish to comment on Dagsavisen’s other information about the specific case at one of Oslo’s secondary schools.

Also read: Oslo headmaster about pupils who are beaten up on the way to school: – We hear about this almost every day

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FACTS

Mobile violence alarm:

• The violence alarm looks like a mobile phone. If the alarm is triggered, there is an app on the phone that puts you in direct contact with the police operations centre. The police see exactly where you are, and will immediately assess the need to intervene.
• The police can give you a mobile violence alarm for three months at a time. If you need to extend the period, you will be given another three months after a professional police assessment.

Visiting ban and contact ban:

• When someone has been banned from visiting or contacting you, it is also a measure to protect you from violence and threats. The bans mean that the person who receives the ban cannot visit, stalk, or contact you in any way.
• The actual wording of what a visiting ban and a contact ban entail is the same. The difference lies in which legal authority is used and who can decide on the measure.
• The police can issue a restraining order, which lasts for up to one year at a time. The court orders a ban on contact. This can last as long as the need is there.

Source: The police

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