Oslo, Nov 10: A Norwegian family may use a state radio surveillance device to help track down their six-year-old son if he runs away, an Oslo appeals court has ruled.
The court overruled a decision by a welfare office, which said the parents should keep a closer eye on the boy without recourse to the state-funded $1,400 radio transmitter.
The court ruling, obtained by Reuters on Monday, agreed with the family that the boy needed extra care because he suffered from autism and was prone to running off.
"We don't want (the tracker) to feel safe if he runs off, but so that we have a real possibility of finding him if he gets lost," the parents said in their appeal.
The family may borrow the surveillance equipment from the state. Norway is one of the richest nations in the world thanks to oil wealth with a generous cradle-to-grave welfare state.

Bureau Report