In August, the police published a report stating that 18 HVB homes in Sweden are run by criminal individuals. Stockholm City Council requested the list from the police, who refused, citing that the information is confidential.
The decision was appealed by the social committee in Stockholm City Council, an appeal that has now been rejected by the Administrative Court.
"The Administrative Court believes that it is not clear that the social committee's interest in obtaining the information takes precedence over the interest that confidentiality is intended to protect," the court writes in its judgment.
Disappointed
Alexander Ojanne (S), Social and Security Councillor in Stockholm City Council, is disappointed.
We had hoped for a different outcome. It is disturbing that we have HVB homes in Sweden run by criminals that are not shut down by supervisory authorities and that the police do not disclose who they are, he says.
This leads to municipalities continuing to place young people at risk of falling into criminality with gang criminals.
Closed one home
Stockholm City Council has, through its own measures, been able to identify one HVB home that it believes is on the list and has terminated the agreement.
There were ten people in the company who had been convicted of drug offenses and robbery, says Ojanne, highlighting that the home is still open.
Even if Stockholm does not place anyone there, there are 289 other municipalities that can do so. So, the municipalities must have this information, it's not just about Stockholm.
The judgment will now be reviewed before a decision is made on whether to appeal, according to Ojanne.
IVO, the Health and Social Care Inspectorate, announced on Thursday that 18 HVB homes have been closed this year due to serious deficiencies. It is not known if they are the same homes as on the police's list.
