In February 2021, the government approved a proposal from the Minister of Social Affairs to entrust the National Quality and Monitoring Agency for Social Services and Child Protection (GEF) with the task of investigating whether and to what extent children who were housed at the Varpholt/Laugaland treatment home between 1997 and 2007 were subjected to ill treatment, mental or physical abuse during their stay.

On January 1, 2022, the Gæða- og eftirlitsstofnun velferðarmála (GEV) took over the project from GEF with the entry into force of Act No. 88/2021, on the Gæða- og eftirlitsstofnun velferðarmála. GEV carried out the final process and the publication of the memorandum. On September 14, 2022, the memorandum was published on the website of GEV and was available to the public until December 20, 2023, but on that date it was removed from the website of GEV in accordance with the order in the Data Protection Order issued on December 14, 2023. In that order, the Data Protection Authority was required to remove the memorandum from the website, while the Data Protection Authority prohibited its further use and distribution. In accordance with the order in the order, the memorandum was removed from the website of GEV on December 20, 2023, as stated above, and the Data Protection Authority was notified.

Here you can access the Data Protection Authority ruling:

It should be noted that the GEV regrets the situation that has arisen, which means that the public no longer has access to the memorandum on the treatment home in Varholt and Laugaland, but the institution is by nature bound by the instructions in the Data Protection Authority ruling.

On behalf of the Quality and Supervisory Authority of Welfare. ,

Herdís Gunnarsdóttir Director.