Nyborg faces review of 379 child welfare cases

Denmark’s Board of Appeal is reopening a potential supervisory case against Nyborg Municipality, examining the handling of 379 child welfare reports, according to a letter obtained by DR.

The move follows a May directive from the Ministry of the Interior and Health, which ordered the Board of Appeal to revisit a previously closed case due to persistent doubts about the municipality’s compliance with social services legislation. The ministry cited hundreds of legal violations in Nyborg’s social services department.

The Board of Appeal has requested that Nyborg’s city council account for the processing of the 379 cases, including the outcomes of reviews and the number of reopened files. It also demands documentation on current case handling and whether past errors may have affected decisions involving citizens.

The 379 cases were part of a 2023 external audit by BDO, which uncovered misconduct, legal breaches, and flaws in the municipality’s handling of specialized social services. In response, Nyborg’s city council approved a multi-year recovery plan costing 300 million kroner to address the issues.

Nyborg has been given three months to submit a new report to the Board of Appeal. Social director Lone Lorenzen stated the request was expected and that the municipality would engage openly with the Board of Appeal to provide factual answers within the deadline.