Several messages of concern that the police have sent via the Altinn messaging service have not reached the municipalities.
The police announced this on their own website on Tuesday morning. They are taking immediate measures to obtain an overview and restore the messages, they write.
– The police have believed that recipients have received, read and handled the messages of concern we have sent them in Altinn. When it turns out that recipients have not opened the messages because they have not been aware that they have received them, then it is serious, says department director Bjørn Vandvik in the Norwegian Police Directorate.
Department director in the Norwegian Police Directorate, Bjørn Vandvik.
Photo: Arthur do Carmo
After 30 days, the content of the messages automatically disappears from the systems.
– The messages can be reconstructed, and the police districts will get started with this, the police write.
Last week it became known that the child protection service in Lillehammer had not received important documents from the police for two years.
– This is a national problem
At a press conference, Bergen city council leader Rune Bakervik (Ap) says that this is a serious matter.
– This is a national problem that may apply to police districts across the country. This has also affected other municipalities, and it has affected Bergen municipality, he says.
He says that over a period from 2020 until today, the police have sent documents to Bergen municipality via Altinn. The municipality has not had access to these.
City councilor in Bergen, Rune Bakervik (Ap).
Photo: Tuva Åserud / NTB
– The documents have not been visible in the municipality’s inbox in Altinn, and the municipality has not been notified that the documents have been sent. In concrete terms, it is the case that those who are to receive these shipments must be assigned two specific roles in Altinn, which have been unknown to us. After 30 days, unread messages in Altinn are deleted, he says.
Want an explanation from the police
– We find no evidence with us that indicates that the police have notified the municipality that they have adopted this system, or that employees in the municipality need special roles in Altinn to receive important information from them, says Bakervik.
He says that the police must now explain how this could have happened, what the scope is, and what the consequences will be.
– Unfortunately, it is only this week that the Directorate of Police has realized the seriousness. Since we discovered the situation, we have worked intensively to follow up on reports of concern, but also to encourage national authorities to take action on the situation.
He believes that these have reacted too late.
– The municipalities are completely dependent on receiving notification and access, in order to be able to grasp the challenge that has arisen due to the police’s misuse of the system, says Bakervik.
– A mistake by the police
City councilor Line Berggreen Jacobsen (Ap) says that 77 consignments have been sent to the child protection service through Altinn, and that they should not have been aware of these.
– 25 of these are reports of concern. 10 of the reports have not been previously known to the child welfare service, says Berggreen.
A total of 118 messages will not have reached the municipality through Altinn.
– This is not a failure of the child protection service’s follow-up of the cases, but a mistake by the police which has meant that the child protection service has not had the opportunity to follow up on the reports that have come in, says Berggreen.
– Can be extremely serious
Children’s ombudsman Inga Bejer Engh says that the state must ensure that all municipalities have systems to receive messages of concern regardless of channel.
Children’s representative Inga Bejer Engh.
Photo: Tom Balgaard / NRK
– It is serious if the police have started sending messages of concern in a new system, here in Altinn, without state child protection authorities and the Norwegian Police Directorate having ensured that all municipalities are in agreement with this, and have routines in place to receive all the messages, she says.
Furthermore, she says that the consequences can be extremely serious for the children concerned.
– This can lead to children living in unsustainable situations not being caught and given the necessary help. It is crucial that Bufdir together with the municipalities ensure that they get an overview of the scope, and do everything they can to limit the damaging effects. The fact that a child in a difficult family situation is not followed up can be extremely serious, she says.
Tor Bernhard Slaathaug from the Justice Foundation tells NRK that disadvantaged children may lose crucial documentation in future redress and compensation cases as a result of this failure.
– This scandal could potentially have ripple effects 10, 15, 20 years into the future. How will those affected potentially be able to apply for compensation or take legal action against the public authorities if they have not received essential documentation, he asks.
– It is unacceptable
Storting representative Tage Pettersen (H) also says that the matter is serious.
Storting representative Tage Pettersen (Ap).
Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten
– Today’s news about reports of concern to child protection from the police, which have not come forward or been read, is very serious. This comes on top of the news that the system several municipalities use for reporting concerns has major weaknesses, he says.
Pettersen adds that over time there is a risk that many serious reports of concern will never be dealt with.
– It is unacceptable, he says.
Group leader in Bergen MDG, Thor Haakon Bakke, says that this is another example of public Norway not having control over digitalisation.
– It is completely tragic that poor technical infrastructure once again goes beyond the safety of our dearest. Such scandals can have enormous consequences, and now all responsible authorities must immediately sit down and ensure that it never happens again, he says.
Wasn’t meant for that type of message
Department director in the Directorate of Digitalisation, Andreas Rafaelsen, tells NRK that the service the police used to send messages of concern to the municipalities is intended for criminal cases.
– To get a full overview, we now have a dialogue with the police and assist them in cleaning up. Because there are quite complicated and serious messages that have been sent, says Rafaelsen.
– Do you know how many municipalities this applies to?
– We don’t know that, says Rafaelsen.
Ministries of justice tell NTB that they expect thorough investigations and measures.
– The Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness expects this to be investigated thoroughly, and that measures are taken to prevent this from happening again, they say.
– Has close and good dialogue
Vandvik says that they assume that the most serious cases have been caught.
– But we still cannot be sure of that, he says.
The police write that they are now following up in collaboration with the Directorate of Digitization and KS.
– The most important thing now is to get a good overview so that we can contribute to ensuring that those who need help and follow-up get it. We have close and good dialogue with the affected actors, and have a high priority on getting an overview quickly, says Vandvik.
Earlier this summer, it became known that reports of concern to the child protection services had also not arrived. The company Visma is behind the computer systems that failed.
2023-07-11 11:38:22
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