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CRIME

Girl’s stepfather and brother held over balcony death

The 38-year-old stepfather and 19-year-old brother of a girl, 16, who died after a balcony fall have been remanded in custody by Malmö District Court on suspicion of murder.

The girl died after falling from a fourth floor balcony in the city’s Fosie district.

Witnesses told police that the fall was preceded by a heated argument in the apartment where the girl and the two men lived.

The 38-year-old’s lawyer denied that his client had committed an offence before members of the public were asked to leave the court and the remainder of the hearing was held behind closed doors. After an hour and a half a decision was taken to remand the girl’s stepfather in custody.

The public prosecutor will file official charges in the case on February 20th.

LANDSLIDE

Swedish authorities: Worker negligence behind motorway landslide

Swedish authorities said on Thursday that worker negligence at a construction site was believed to be behind a landslide that tore apart a motorway in western Sweden in September.

Swedish authorities: Worker negligence behind motorway landslide

The landslide, which struck the E6 highway in Stenungsund, 50 kilometres north of Sweden’s second-largest city Gothenburg, ripped up a petrol station car park, overturned lorries and caved in the roof of a fast food restaurant.

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Prosecutor Daniel Veivo Pettersson said on Thursday he believed “human factors” were behind the landslide as “no natural cause” had been found during the investigation.

He told a press conference the landslide had been triggered by a nearby construction site where too much excavated material had been piled up, putting excessive strain on the ground below. 

“At this stage, we consider it negligent, in this case grossly negligent, to have placed so much excavated material on the site,” Pettersson said.

Pettersson added that three people were suspected of among other things gross negligence and causing bodily harm, adding that the investigation was still ongoing.

The worst-hit area covered around 100 metres by 150 metres, but the landslide affected an area of around 700 metres by 200 metres in total, according to emergency services.

Three people were taken to hospital with minor injuries after the collapse, according to authorities.

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