The Social Welfare Committee in Motala receives serious criticism for delaying the start of a paternity investigation

In March 2020, a person informed a Social Welfare Committee that, among other things, he was the father of two children in the municipality and the children did have have a registered father in the National Population Register. He asked that the municipality start a paternity investigation. The committee did not start such an investigation until September 2021 after a trustee had been appointed to the children.

In the decision, JO states that a committee cannot avoid starting a paternity investigation merely for the reason that the information that the child lacks a registered father comes from a person who claims to be the child’s father. JO also states that it is a committee’s obligation to fulfil its investigation if the child in question moves to another municipality.

In its decision, JO finds that the committee had no reason for delaying the start of the paternity investigation, and for that the committee deserves serious criticism.