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In September 1997, sexual abuse at a Swedish daycare centre was disclosed. The suspect, a male member of the staff, admitted having abused six children. A total of 30 children were included in the police investigation. In this study, these cases were evaluated individually using a child psychiatric method. Information was collected from the police investigation and from interviews with parents. The conclusions–categorized as “abuse likely”, “abuse conceivable” or “abuse uncertain”–were compared with the children's own reports, the legal evaluations and the confessions of the suspects. Conclusions: The correspondence of child reports with child psychiatric evaluations was fairly high, indicating that child reports may serve as a good screening indicator of abuse. There was little agreement between child psychiatric evaluations and legal decisions, which were based on the reports of suspects. Some differences may be explained by varied methodology, definitions and criteria. Others reflect real differences in opinion. Our study illustrates the need to establish legal criteria for statements from pre‐schoolers if such evidence is to constitute the basis of a ruling without a confession. Studies comparing professional psychological assessments of children's statements about sexual abuse with independent data stand out as an important line of research for the future.

The Barnahus model was introduced in the Nordic countries as a response to a growing recognition of the need for more integrated and child-centred services for children exposed to violence and sexual abuse. It has been

208A. Kaldal et al.The main aim of Swedish Barnahus is to adapt criminal proceedings to the child and let the best interest of the child be the primary consideration when a child victim or witness is the subject of a police investigation. This is stated in the Swedish national guidelines for Barnahus (RPS 2009). The guidelines also state the child's right to participation and the right to information:The child should be informed of measures concerning to him or her, and be given the opportunity to express his or hers views and opinions to the extent and the way his or her maturity allows.As shown by the national guidelines, the child's right to information is interwoven with the child's right to participation. A corresponding view is presented by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, who describe the child's right to information as part of the child's right to participation according to art. 12 in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) 1 .In order to explore children's right to information in a criminal investigation in Swedish Barnahus, we will (i) describe and analyse the legal and normative basis for the child's right to participation and information; (ii) describe the Barnahus activities in the light of the right to information, with a focus on the criminal investigation; and (iii) analyse how the child's right to information in Barnahus is met in relation to the rights of the child.

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