Statistics show that Finland is still Western Europe's most violent country when it comes to domestic violence. And children are the most vulnerable to it. To address the problem, police and child welfare authorities are focusing on a broad awareness and enforcement campaign.
Half of the campaign is to prevent child abuse from ever happening. This involves distributing information at pre- and post-natal clinics on the dangers of shaking infants. A similar campaign in the United States helped cut the casualty rate of shaken baby syndrome in half.
Simultaneously, professionals dealing with children are being continuously taught how to spot potential cases of abuse. For infants, at least, the guidelines are crystal clear: bruises should not appear on children under one year of age. Suspicion should also be aroused if a child under the age of five suffers from broken ribs, shoulder blades or upper arms. Something like falling off a changing table could not cause these types of breaks.
Child welfare authorities are also being urged to be vigilant. Too many are still reluctant to notify authorities if they suspect abuse. Some feel it conflicts with their responsibility for professional confidentiality. This is a claim that interior ministry police inspector Robin Lardot denies, although he does admit that they are open to interpretation.