ABSTRACT

In September 2006, the center-right parties came together as the Alliance and regained power in government under the leadership of the Moderate Party. The Alliance injected a new round of changes into the welfare sector, and the role of the state and municipalities as service providers became more and more limited. Sweden also sought to be active and a driving force in international organizations, such as the European Union. International collaborations have influenced both the Swedish government and BOJ’s policies and practices for victims. BOJ now started a vigorous effort to standardize and streamline its victim support, while extending support to groups that traditionally have required professional help, children in particular. Overall, BOJ’s focus on so-called “vulnerable crime victims” increased, which, apart from children, included elderly people, people with disability, and people with different ethnic backgrounds. In parallel with this development, BOJ now entered a phase when centers started merging and closing. The number of victims BOJ serves also started to decrease.