47% of children in family law cases are from immigrant families

Ragnhild Bjørnebekk .Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB scanpix

Almost half of the children in family law cases are from immigrant families.This was shown in a review NRK news had made among judgements in Norwegian courtrooms this spring.

 

NRK had gone through all judgements from Norwegian courtrooms in March,April and May this year where children have been involved in litigation against their closest relatives.

There were convictions in 84 cases. A total of 135 children were involved in the cases. Of these, 63 are children in immigrant families.That is, 47%. Most have backgrounds from Africa and Asia, and many are from Afghanistan and Pakistan, the NRK survey shows.

Violence researcher Ragnhild Bjørnebekk at the Police College says she thinks the numbers are disturbing. She believes that anyone who comes to Norway must be offered psychological examination.

The statistics can be explained by cultural and legal differences,she believes.

“The laws are different in Norway compared to many other countries.It may be that people come from weak state forms with authoritarian dictatorship, where power lies within the family. They do not have all of these organizations that we have in developing countries,” explained Bjørnebekk.

She thinks a lot concerns ‘honour’ culture. Besides, many immigrants flee from trauma, not least the trauma of war said Bjørnebekk.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today