Another grim case of child neglect and abuse that turned fatal was emerging in Oslo on Tuesday. Police have arrested a woman and charged her with severe neglect after her 10-year-old son was found dead in August.
The woman was ordered held in custody for at least four weeks while police continue their investigation. The woman will also undergo psychiatric examination.
Prosecutor Pål-Fredrik Hjort Kraby told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) that Norway’s child protective service agency Barnevernet had been alerted to the boy’s living conditions earlier this year and investigated at once. The case was later dropped, however, and no action was taken against the woman, who had been a single mother for many years.
She called his school at the end of the summer holidays and claimed he was sick. Kraby said he’d been away from school for 14 days before he was found dead. Police were being sparse with details on Tuesday and refused to reveal the cause of death.
Two court-appointed psychiatrists will determine whether the woman is capable of standing trial. Her defense attorney said she denies criminal responsibility for her son’s death.
newsinenglish.no staff
