Complaints of child abuse have increased dramatically in recent years, and nobody seems to really know why. At the same time the court have a milder view on adult violence against children.

– There has been change from that the court previously regarded it as more serious when a child was abused to quite the opposite, says scientist and lawyer Eva Diesen. You could say that spanking as a child upbringing method has become almost accepted again.

In the documentary, “She refused to obey”, journalist Erik Sandberg scrutinize the work of the courts. Many times, the courts don’t bring aggravating circumstances to the surface when adults assaulting children, and instead come up with extenuating circumstances, which is not covered in the law. A mother who hit her two sons bloody gets the crime classification changed from assault to exiguous assault because “the aim of the battle was to get the boy to manner his language.” One youth worker who repeatedly punched a student and threw him into a banister, receive a lower sentence because the student called him “idiot”. The same applies to a father who hit his daughter because she didn’t hand over her cell phone. In that case the District Court writes that “even if the violence is of a serious nature, it has been preceded by some provocation to disobey the parent.”

One of the judges involved in the documentary admits that she has not judged according by the law but defends it by saying that a judge must “acquire a mindset that is born out the old, millennial values.”

The forgiving attitude to upbringing violence is not just only noticeable in the courtroom. In recent times there has been voices that demands the law to be changed so that violence against children will be permitted again. Principal Stefan Adelborg was surprised by the reaction he got when a teacher at his school had slapped a middle school student in the face. Most took the side of the teacher and laid the blame on the abused child.

– I do not think anyone had defended it in a workplace with adults. But when adults use violence against children, we find the underlying causes, to justify violence and it is difficult for me to understand.

Violence defender is visible on letters to the editor and forum for debate but also in the streets. In December, around a hundred demonstrators gathered outside the court in Jönköping to show support for a man who attacked a twelve year old child in a park.

– Young people have to learn to respect adults and the elderly, says Liselotte Brose, one of the demonstrators. I myself have children and grandchildren, but I mean it, heck, take them by their ears and even more if they do not obey!

“She did not want to obey” is a independent follow up on a previous documentary, “Damn children”. In that Erik Sandberg depicted how different punishments once again become popular in children’s upbringing and examined the politicians and commentators who believe that children have been given too much freedom and that it’s time for the adults to regain power.

“She refused to obey” is produced by Laika Film & Television AB for SVT:s Dokument inifrån.

Dokument inifrån: Hon ville ju inte lyda
Påskdagen, 4 April, 20.00 in SVT2