Historical child abuse as a contemporary process: the Swedish inquiry and the Swedish redress process

Since the 1990s, historical institutional child abuse has received political attention in many established democracies (Daly 2014; Sköld & Swain 2015; Sköld 2013; Winter 2014). Alongside inquiries, several states have... [ view full abstract ]

Since the 1990s, historical institutional child abuse has received political attention in many established democracies (Daly 2014; Sköld & Swain 2015; Sköld 2013; Winter 2014). Alongside inquiries, several states have implemented official apologies and financial compensation in an attempt to offer redress to the victims. The design of these redress processes depends on present-day assumptions about the reality of past childhoods. Investigating historical abuse of children in out-of-home care and aiming at reconciliation are processes that relates to the broad and interdisciplinary field of transitional justice.

In this presentation I treat transitional justice as a process rather than a goal, a view which otherwise is often adopted by governments. Governments want to resolve the problem of a haunting past and move on, but in the words of James McAdams, transitional justice is “the issue that won’t go away” (McAdams 2011). I use the case of Sweden to illustrate this process. The Swedish inquiry into abuse and neglect of children in foster homes and institutions was operating 2006-2011, and interviewed a total of 866 care leavers. The chocking results of the inquiry eventually lead to a redress process comprising an official apology and economic compensation to the victims. However, the redress scheme was designed to exclude certain groups. The redress board which operates the scheme, has been criticized for using a very narrow concept of abuse when deciding on which care leavers that deserve the economic redress and whom do not. Only 46 % of those who applicate for financial compensation as a means for redress, have been awarded which is a very low figure in comparison to international counterparts. The reason for this low proportion is yet to be explored by research. However, a preliminary explanation is to be found in the genealogy of the Swedish redress process, which is accounted for in this presentation.

References
Daly, K. (2014). Redressing Institutional Abuse of Children. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
McAdams, A. J. (2011). Transitional Justice: The Issue that Won’t Go Away. International Journal Of Transitional Justice, 5(2).
Sköld, J. (2013). Historical abuse – a contemporary issue: compiling inquiries into abuse and neglect of children in out-of-home care worldwide. Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention, vol 14 no S1, p. 5-23.
Sköld, J & Swain, S (2015) eds, Apologies and the Legacy of Abuse of Children in 'Care', Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Winter, S. (2014). Transitional Justice in Established Democracies, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.