SW 2025.03.20 Authorities in Sweden Destroy Families

Authorities in Sweden Destroy Families and Children’s Lives?

Sweden’s Social Welfare and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA/UD)

Sweden’s Authorities and Social Welfare system have a fundamental mission to provide social services and protect its citizens in collaboration with other authorities, such as the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA/UD), to safeguard vulnerable children and support families in crisis. However, growing reluctance and mounting evidence suggest that Sweden’s social services and authorities in general have strayed far from this objective, instead wielding unchecked power that often inflicts irreversible harm on those they are meant to protect.

An increasing number of parents and children report experiences of arbitrary decision-making, legal rights violations, and devastating consequences imposed by a system intended to provide care and support.

This raises a critical question: Have Institutions in Sweden become a source of Trauma rather than Protection?

Systemic Failures and Erosion of Legal Safeguards

Swedish social services operate with considerable authority, particularly under the Care of Young Persons (Special Provisions) Act (LVU), which grants them the ability to forcibly remove children from their families. While intervention is sometimes necessary to protect children from genuine harm, there is growing concern that many removals are based on dubious grounds, weak allegations, and subjective assessments rather than verifiable evidence.

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Reports indicate that family separations are often executed without substantial proof of neglect or abuse. Decisions are frequently made based on inconsistent investigations, leading to devastating consequences for parents and children alike. Meanwhile, cases of genuine child endangerment are overlooked, sometimes until it is too late. This alarming inconsistency points to a deep-seated systemic failure.

Abuse of Power and Arbitrary Investigations

The investigative procedures employed by social services frequently lack objectivity, relying on preconceived notions rather than thorough assessments. In numerous cases, parents have been labeled as “unfit” based on the subjective opinions of individual caseworkers rather than on factual evidence.

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There are alarming accounts of social workers distorting information, omitting critical details, and misinterpreting family dynamics. Such actions have transformed what should be a protective service into a bureaucratic machine that prioritizes authority over justice. The lack of accountability enables social services to operate with impunity, leaving families vulnerable to unjust intervention.

Children Suffering – The Disturbing Reality of State Care

Ironically, children removed from their families are often placed in environments that are far more harmful than those they were taken from. Documented cases reveal that many children in state care suffer from neglect, abuse, and severe psychological distress. Reports highlight instances of maltreatment within foster care and residential institutions, exposing the tragic reality that some of Sweden’s most vulnerable children are subjected to further harm under government supervision.

Community Care for Children “Has Failed” – Carina Ohlsson

Children who experience forced separation from their families frequently report feelings of rootlessness, anxiety, and deep mistrust toward authority figures. Rather than offering stability and protection, the current system exacerbates their suffering, leading to long-term emotional and psychological damage.

A System That Resists Scrutiny

Despite widespread criticism, the decisions made by Swedish social services are rarely subjected to independent review. There is a troubling absence of external oversight, allowing the system to function with minimal accountability. Financial incentives further complicate the issue, as the placement of children in care generates significant revenue for private foster care organizations and institutions, raising ethical concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

If the stated objective of social services is to protect children, why are so many placed in environments where their well-being deteriorates? The answer lies in a combination of systemic failures, a lack of transparency, and a culture of unquestioned authority.

Cold facts: When no One is Watching – TV4

The Urgent Need for Reform

Sweden’s social services must undergo comprehensive reform to restore public trust and ensure that children and families are treated fairly. Key measures that must be implemented include:

• Stronger Legal Protections: Decisions regarding LVU interventions must be based on clear, objective evidence rather than subjective judgments by individual social workers.
• Greater Transparency and Accountability: Families affected by social service interventions must have the right to clear information, legal support, and a meaningful opportunity to challenge decisions.
• Independent Oversight: An external body must be established to oversee social service investigations and prevent abuses of power.
• Improved Family Support Services: Rather than prioritizing family separation, social services should focus on early intervention and strengthening families through effective support programs.

Conclusion – Families are being Torn Apart

Sweden has long championed its welfare model as a global example of child protection and family support, at least theoretically. However, when social services inflict harm rather than provide care, it is imperative to confront the system’s failures and demand change.

Families are being torn apart, children are suffering, and parents are losing their rights—not due to genuine neglect, but as a result of a deeply flawed bureaucratic process that has lost its ethical and legal compass. How much longer can this be tolerated? It is time to hold social services accountable, restore legal safeguards, and implement reforms before more lives are irreparably damaged in the name of welfare.

Personal Experiences – Sources

# Skräcktjänsten
# Per Staffan
# Samson Family
# Family United Sweden
# Abducted and Abandoned
# Sweden’s Political Establishment – A Circus

Author:
Leon (Nic. Cheropoulos)
Father of Anthie and Alexandra
Article published 2025.03.20