Malmö covers up wave of thefts in elderly care

Over three years, the City of Malmö registered 180 incidents of suspected theft in elderly care. Despite this, not a single case was reported to the Health and Social Care Inspectorate, IVO. At the same time, an assistant nurse who had been investigated by the police was able to continue receiving new jobs within the municipality.

The City of Malmö has come under heavy criticism following reports on how suspected thefts in elderly care have been handled. Between 2023 and 2025, a total of 180 incidents were recorded in the municipality’s care homes and among people who received home care services.

According to an investigation by Senioren, none of the cases have been reported to IVO, even though, according to the magazine, it is a statutory obligation. Several of the cases are said to have been serious, and in some instances involved large sums of money.

A central part of the review focuses on an assistant nurse who was the subject of police investigations in some of the more serious cases. Despite the suspicions, the person continued to work for the City of Malmö and held several positions over the years. Senioren reports it has seen eight employment contracts, with the first dating from 2014.

As recently as 2024, the assistant nurse was recruited to a special care home. The responsible section manager states that all rules were followed during recruitment, including checking references. According to the manager, the references obtained were positive.

Acted only after media investigation

At the care home in question, the acting unit manager says she is aware of only one case of suspected theft. That case was reported to the police in 2024, but even then, no notification was made to IVO.

It was only after the newspaper Sydsvenskan during the summer highlighted that the assistant nurse was still employed that the City of Malmö took action. The person was then immediately suspended.

The employment has since been terminated. According to Senioren, it is still unclear whether this was done on the person’s own initiative, which according to the investigation, had also happened after previous suspicions.

The municipality admits deficiencies

The City of Malmö now admits that there are deficiencies in the handling of these incidents. Helen Martinsson, who has overall responsibility for the municipality’s care homes under the Health, Care, and Welfare Administration, writes to Senioren that the municipality sees deficiencies particularly when it comes to reference checks.

She describes the situation as serious and notes that suspected thefts are particularly severe in operations that are based on safety and trust.

The City of Malmö also regrets that Malmö residents have been affected and states that the current focus is on taking the necessary measures.