Motion for parliamentary inquiry due to ‘years of failure’ in closed youth care | Politics

Young people were locked in their rooms for the vast majority of their day, were belittled and reported physical violence and sexual misconduct. With the report Lonely Closed Two and a half weeks ago, expert Jason Bhugwandass recorded the experiences of 51 young people who had been in a special department in closed youth care.

Bhugwandass’ investigation into the so-called Very Intensive Short-term Observation and Stabilization Unit (ZIKOS) followed many other critical reports. For example, in 2019 there was the report on violence within overall youth care by the De Winter Committee and in recent years several inspection reports followed following a visit to a youth care institution.

All these investigations are also on the desk of Member of Parliament Lisa Westerveld (GL-PvdA). “We have constantly asked questions about this and submitted motions about it,” she told NU.nl. “But they have not been implemented or have not been implemented as we would like. As a Chamber, we are obliged to take our responsibility.”

“Despite several signals and reports, there is still no good answer to the how and why behind the abuses in closed youth care,” adds NSC MP Faith Bruyning. She therefore thinks it is “time for politicians to be held accountable”.

Bruyning and Westerveld jointly call for a so-called concise parliamentary inquiry into closed youth care from 2008 to the present. They will submit the motion on Thursday during the debate on closed youth care and hope to receive support from a majority of the House of Representatives. The House will vote on the motion next week.

During the brief parliamentary inquiry, ministers, inspectors and youth care administrators can be heard under oath. The research question is smaller and there is less file work than with a normal parliamentary inquiry.

Previously, a brief parliamentary inquiry was held into, for example, childcare allowance. The investigation into gas extraction in Groningen is an example of an extensive parliamentary inquiry.

Such an investigation is necessary because the failure of the system has been clear for years, says Bruyning. They hope to uncover how the abuses can continue for so long, despite all reports and signals. “A brief parliamentary inquiry responds to the enormous needs of young people in closed institutions and politicians can, hopefully, learn from it and implement improvements,” said Bruyning.

By deploying one of the strongest resources that the House of Representatives has, the MPs also want to send the signal “that we think it is very important that this will change”.

And now is the political moment for that, Westerveld believes. “If we are all so shocked (by the report, ed.), then I also think we should look ourselves in the mirror and give direction to a new cabinet.”

After the survey, further steps can be considered, says Bruyning. It is therefore still too early to say whether, for example, an apology should be made to the affected young people, as Bhugwandass advised in his report.

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