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3 September 2019
10 September 2019 at 10 o'clock
By Oddvar Espegard
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The original version in Norwegian appeared in the local newspaper Hallingdølen on 3 September 2019, and on MHS's home page on the same date.
This version in English is published with the author's kind consent.
Translation: Marianne Haslev Skånland
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On the date and time indicated in the title, the judgment in the Lobben case will be read in the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg. This terrible case, an ugly child protection case, has raised an enormous interest all over Europe. The case has been up before the Grand Chamber. It is probably the first time that a Norwegian child protection case has been taken up in the Grand Chamber, even though at present as many as 23 child protection cases against Norway have been communicated. (Last year the ECtHR tried more than 1,000 cases and only 14 of them were taken up in the Grand Chamber.)
Some days ago I talked with a politician in Ål who was lobbying for his party in the upcoming election. The politician told me that he had read my articles, but he asked for more facts.
So today's fact of importance is this: Take note of 10 September, 10 a.m. in the morning, because that is when the judgment from the Grand Chamber in the Lobben case will be published. But you, and other politicians, must search a bit and find it, because far from all news media in Norway will mention this: that the Norwegian state offends against the Convention on Human Rights. Well, I have given you a piece of information; it is up to you to do the rest yourselves. Or do I have to come up with the rest too, by spoon-feeding?
These violations of children's rights in Norway are so grave that I am hard put to find words.
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About the coming Lobben judgment, and about the report of the Council of Europe in 2018:
(In Norwegian:)
Marius Reikerås om den kommende Lobben-dommen
(Marius Reikerås about the coming Lobben judgment)
Marius Reikerås på facebook, 30 August 2019
(In Norwegian:)
Lobben-dommen offentliggjøres 10 september 2019. Hør Rune Fardal i samtale med Marius Reikerås
(The Lobben judgment will be published on 10 September 2019. Hear Rune Fardal in conversation with Marius Reikerås)
Family Channel – Focus on Family & Human Rights in Norway, 27 August 2019
The Council of Europe with a critical report on European child protection systems
By Marianne Haslev Skånland
MHS's home page, 4 July 2018
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