The municipality of Aarhus has been given the green light by the Data Protection Agency to establish a reference register of employees who have been dismissed for serious misconduct. This step has been taken to prevent these employees from being rehired within the municipality’s various departments. The register was proposed after a case where a former healthcare assistant, accused of violence and sexual abuse against vulnerable citizens in several nursing homes, was dismissed but later hired at other nursing homes in the municipality. This incident sparked a public debate about security measures and hiring procedures in the municipality.
After a thorough review of the municipality’s plans and explanations, the Data Protection Agency has decided not to initiate supervision proceedings. The agency recognizes the need for such a registry, which will be kept internally in the Department of Health and Care and only include individuals who have committed serious misconduct. The register will contain information that is automatically deleted after five years, unless there are particularly serious offenses where the information can be kept for longer based on a specific assessment. Aarhus estimates that between five and ten employees will be registered annually.
This new measure is part of the municipality’s efforts to strengthen the protection of citizens and ensure a more responsible management of personnel. A verdict in the mentioned criminal case against the former healthcare assistant is expected in June.