Employees in the municipality of Gothenburg choose to turn their eyes away when drugs are sold openly, keep secret that weapons and drugs are stored in municipal premises and do not dare to report concerns.
A culture of silence that SVT Nyheter Väst previously reported on.
The culture of silence is now also confirmed in a report where an external consultant interviewed 50 people within the municipality on behalf of the municipal board.
Something that GP is the first to report.
- It is a dark and very gloomy picture that emerges, says Anna Hedin Ekström who made the report and interviewed the people.
Children do not get the right help - because of fear
She is surprised that the problem has been discussed so little in the media.
Anna Hedin Ekström has made the report on culture of silence.
- There is often a lot of focus on the vulnerability of the police and the judiciary, but not on this, says Anna Hedin Ekström, who has also previously worked extensively with illicit influence, work environment, violent extremism and security.
The interviews also reveal that children do not receive the help they are entitled to due to fear among municipal employees.
Many are afraid to report concerns or ask follow-up questions to guardians.
Called "whiny"
Many of the interviewees have also not previously been asked about subtle threats and the fear of going to work.
Instead, they have experienced that they can be called "whiny".
- Many automatically answer "no" to the question of subtle threats, but then they realize what they have actually been through, says Anna Hedin Ekström.
Threats to their own children
Those interviewed state that the worst threats are indications that they know where the person lives or has their children at school.
People can also tell about their connections to IS or criminal gangs.
In addition, many of the employees experience that managers filter the information upwards towards senior managers and politicians in order to seem more successful than they are.
- I think it is brave of the municipal board to bring in an external report, to lift the lid without knowing what is there.
Now I hope that transparency and straightforwardness continue.
In the clip below, you hear the gang expert Maria Wallin in a previous interview about the same problem:
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Maria Wallin warns that there is a "culture of silence" within the city of Gothenburg when it comes to working with gang criminals.
Photo: SVT