Norway's Barnevernet: They took our four children… then the baby

Tim Whewell -BBC News

The recent removal of five children from their parents’ home in Norway has called into question child protective services in the country. According to the article, many advocates and professionals are claiming that child protection case workers and social workers in Norway are too quick to remove children from the home, particularly in the case of immigrants. “The Norwegian child protection service, known as Barnevernet, has been accused by protesters of ‘kidnapping’ children - in this and many other cases,” says the article. And thousands have gathered to protest in a worldwide campaign. According to the article, the children were taken away due to the parent’s use of corporal punishment, a practice that is strictly and categorically outlawed in Norway, something that the parents (who allegedly use occasional spanking) claim they did not know.