“All I can say is that they are all between 18 and 20, apart from one of the suspects who is under 18,” said Inga-Lis Adervall Åström, prosecutor at the Umeå prosecution chamber to local paper Norrländska Socialdemokraten (NSD).

Adervall Åström was unwilling to elaborate on the case or even confirm the sex of those involved due to the delicate nature of the on-going investigation.

According to the paper, the suspected rape took place in a flat in one of the apartment buildings that the Swedish Migration Board (Migrationsverket) rents house asylum seekers.

The berths in the apartments are divided into two asylum seekers per room, meaning that a three bedroom flat could house up to six asylum seekers of different nationalities and backgrounds.

The paper reports that there are five names on the door of the flat in question, which has been cordoned off by police.

The incident is said to have occurred in the early hours between Tuesday and Wednesday and according to a newspaper source, the attack could have been triggered by ethnic or religious motives.

According to the Migration Board’s Ann-Gerd Malmström, the agency tries to take these things into consideration when they allocate housing.

“But personal conflicts can break out between all people regardless of their ethnicity and religion. We are all individuals. I have no idea of this particular case and I have no wish to speculate into that,” said Malmström to NSD.

Police have arrested two of the three suspects so far. They are under suspicion of aggravated rape and robbery. The prosecutor must file remand orders by Saturday or the men will be free to go.

The Local/rm

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