Authorities should not need parents' consent for child abuse investigation: Ruling party

The interest and safety of a child must be the priorities when there are suspicions of child abuse, according to D66. Authorities should not need parental consent to launch an investigation, and must listen to children more carefully, the largest coalition party said.

The party intended to submit a proposal to better protect children in this way after the summer. During a recent debate on domestic violence, a parliamentary majority already expressed support for similar ideas. Ingrid Coenradie of JA21, among others, suggested the same idea during that debate.

The proposal by D66 MPs Marijke Synhaeve and Hanneke van der Werf stems from severe child cases in Stadskanaal and Vlaardingen. In both cases, many warning signs were missed, including the children themselves asking for help because they were being abused. They were not listened to, and the D66 wants this to change.

“If a child gives clear signals that they are unsafe at home, the child’s perspective and rights must be the guiding principles from that moment on,” the party said. “That means that an interview with the child must always happen first.”

“Children sound the alarm, but their interests are overshadowed in current procedures, while abuse at home often continues and can worsen,” D66 said. “Currently, if the parent permits the child to be interviewed after a report, the parent is often allowed to be present at the interview. This discourages and influences children when talking about their home situation and harms their safety.”