A fiercely critical report into the practices of the Norwegian child protection agency, Barnevernet, has just been published by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)

The report criticized the frequency and nature of “emergency” interventions in Norway, the reasons for separating parents from their children, and the extremely short visitation times afforded to them. The Assembly made a number of recommendations to minimize disruption for children where an intervention was necessary, such as keeping care within the wider family unit wherever possible.

The Council of Europe report was prompted by the international outcry over the plight of a Christian couple, Ruth and Marius Bodnariu, had all five of their children taken away by Barnevernet in late 2015. The five Bodnariu children (including a three-month-old baby) were taken after an allegation was made about the parents using physical chastisement, which is not allowed in Norway. The taking of the children resulted in protests around the world. While the Bodnariu family was ultimately reunited and fled the country, many other families came forward with similar stories of unjustified intervention.