Published 20 January 2024 at 14.25
Law & Justice. The Supreme Administrative Court has concluded that “total isolation in the home” can form the basis for compulsory care of young people.
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The question in the current case was whether self-selected isolation in the home can be such socially degrading behavior as grounds for compulsory care under the law with special provisions on care for young people (LVU).
The case concerns a 15-year-old boy who, over the past two years, has increasingly isolated himself at home and has been absent extensively from school. During the last six months, before he was taken into care, he had isolated himself in his room, which he left only when he was alone at home. He had also removed the door handle
According to the social committee in Kalix municipality, the boy's health and development risked being damaged by his “socially destructive behaviour”.
That the youngster spends basically all his time at home and mismanaging his schooling cannot, according to the Supreme Administrative Court, normally be considered such socially degrading behavior as a basis for deciding on care according to the LVU.
In this case, however, the boy had for a long time isolated himself at home, also in relation to his family, and as a consequence also missed large parts of his schooling, despite being covered by compulsory schooling.
This almost total isolation from the family and society in general considered the Supreme Administrative Court to be included in the concept of socially destructive behaviour.
However, two of the court's five members disagreed.