Three Swedish municipalities reported to police over deaths and neglect in disability care

The Swedish National Association for People with Intellectual Disability (FUB) has filed police reports against politicians, managers, and care staff in three municipalities following severe failures in disability support services, including two deaths and a case where a resident was forgotten for a decade.

According to a report by SVT Nyheter, the incidents occurred in Helsingborg, Ystad, and Ängelholm, where shortcomings in routines led to fatal consequences. In one case, a man in Helsingborg choked after being served the wrong type of food, requiring paramedics to clear his airway with forceps. In another, a resident in Ängelholm was found dead after nearly three weeks without supervision. A third case involved a woman in Ystad who was left unnoticed by the municipality for ten years while living in a supported housing facility.

FUB chair Anders Lago called the failures unacceptable, citing systemic flaws in regulations, routines, and individual misconduct. The association has reported officials for professional misconduct, negligent injury, and negligent homicide, demanding legal accountability.

“The situation is so serious that we need this examined under criminal law. We hope it leads to prosecutions,” Lago said.

FUB also criticized the Swedish Health and Social Care Inspectorate (IVO) for inadequate oversight, arguing that its investigations rarely result in consequences. Social Services Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (Moderate Party) stated that ensuring proper care for vulnerable individuals is a priority but did not commit to a proposed national LSS inspection system.

Local authorities in the affected municipalities acknowledged the failures. Helsingborg officials claimed to have reviewed food-handling routines, while Ängelholm has initiated improvements in motivating residents to accept support. Ystad’s social services director previously described the oversight as an “extreme mistake” and a “system failure.”

The LSS (Act Concerning Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments) governs disability care in Sweden, but FUB argues that declining standards over the past decade have put residents at risk.