John Walter, 5 years old, was born prematurely. He had autism and ADHD. His parents, who are separated and live in different cities, needed help from the municipality.
When Falu municipality failed to find a family home and respite solutions that worked, the social services decided that the boy should be placed in the Platea residential care home.
"I had read reviews about Platea and brought it up at the meeting," says father Hans-Erik Sjöholm. But they had already made up their minds.
"He's my everything," the father says to the municipality in the recorded conversations, and is assured by social services about his son's safety in the residential care home. Images private/SVT
Repeated criticism
In a series of reports, SVT has examined the control of residential care homes in Sweden. Platea in Hagfors is one of the 18 that has received the worst criticism for repeated and serious misconduct. Therefore, both parents protested.
"Considering how many shortcomings there are and I was told that John Walter escaped again from his short, my answer is a flat No!" the mother wrote to the municipality.
The mother can't bear to be interviewed in her grief, but she also wants us to review the case.
SVT has gone through the investigations and documents about the placement, and the conversations that the father recorded. He asks again and again about safety. John Walter liked to explore and had disappeared before from other accommodations.
"He could just open the door and walk out the fire door, do they understand that?" says the father in one of several conversations.
"I'm convinced that they understand the scope of it and that they make sure," the social worker replies.
Convinced the parents
The municipality confirmed several times that the residential care home was safe.
"They're super good at this kind of thing, that you're very physical and climb and are mobile. It's not going to be that now I'm going to go and get coffee and then he'll run," they say at a meeting.
Platea had replied to Ivo and the municipality that the shortcomings had been rectified and said that they would deal with John Walter.
"There is no other option," said the social worker.
"We do not comment on individual cases," says Magnus Nordahl, section manager for Children and Families in Falun. We always make our placements according to the children's individual needs, at the same time the business has permission from Ivo.
The parents were convinced. Dad Hans-Erik was there for a visit when he got a call on Tuesday morning.
"The police called. Then I saw ambulances and helicopters, and I thought, no, that can't be true.
John Walter had been found in the stream next to his home. He was 5 years old.
On Friday, the residential care home was closed by Ivo due to danger to the life, health and safety of the children.
"We have taken this very seriously and started an investigation, but it is too early to draw any conclusions about what has happened," says Patrik Silverudd, press officer at Humana, which owns Platea.
"I asked them for only one thing, that they would keep an eye on them. One thing and they couldn't. They wonder if they've done something wrong? My son is dead.