When neighbors see a boy climbing around on the roof, they call the police. She finds him locked in the children's room, where there is only a mattress and a bucket for defecating. After the rescue, the authorities make a mistake that they later regret.
Hagen (dpa / lnw) - A five-year-old boy was taken from neglected living conditions by the police and youth welfare office in Hagen and taken into care. Neighbors saw the child on Sunday morning climbing on the roof and in the gutter of a four-story house, police said on Tuesday. The mother is under investigation. Due to a mistake by youth welfare workers, the boy was temporarily brought back to her on Monday. "The city of Hagen very much regrets the events described surrounding the affected child," the city said in a statement.
When the police arrived on Sunday, the boy had already gotten back into his room through the window. Apparently he lived locked in the children's room, which contained only a mattress and a bucket for his necessities. The 22-year-old mother was reported and the boy was taken into care.
As the city announced on Tuesday, he was returned to his mother in the home environment on Monday. The reason was therefore a misjudgment by the specialist at the youth welfare office, who had looked after the family for a long time, and her immediate superior. The case will be processed internally by the administration and checked under service law. The boy was taken into care again on Tuesday morning, aware of the misjudgment. This happened - like the first taking into care on Sunday - in agreement with the mother, it said.
According to the police, the mother and stepfather had opened the apartment door when the officers arrived on Sunday. They unlocked the children's room door, which is where police found the five-year-old imprisoned. "The overall circumstances, the conditions in the apartment and in the room, prompted the officials to call the youth welfare office."
According to a police spokesman, the child made an externally unharmed impression and did not appear ill. The city confirmed on Tuesday that no health problems had been reported to the child so far. For further clarification, it will be presented to the child protection clinic.
The mother is being investigated for deprivation of liberty and violation of the duty of care. She wasn't arrested. According to the police, the stepfather, who also lives in the apartment, is not being investigated in connection with the boy. However, he was reported because some cannabis plants were found in the attic of the house.
