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Investigation continues into death of 13-year-old

The investigation into the death of a 13-year-old girl, who was found murdered Saturday afternoon in Stockholm, continued on Monday, with two brothers remaining the prime suspects.

Published: 3 September 2012 17:23 CEST

Investigation continues into death of 13-year-old

Man released in murdered 13

Two brothers were arrested in the Stockholm suburb of Täby shortly after the girl was found dead inside a block of flats.

One of the two suspects, a 31-year-old man, was seriously injured when jumping from a window on the third floor.

Anton Strand, the suspected killer’s lawyer, would not comment on his client’s condition, or his response to the allegations.

Martin Cullberg, the lawyer of the 28-year-old brother, maintains that his client denies the crime.

Prosecutor Ewa Tvengström, who is leading the murder investigation, would not give information about the possible motive or the details surrounding Saturday’s incident.

“I don’t have much to say. It is an ongoing investigation and investigative measures are being taken now,” she told the TT news agency.

The younger brother will be questioned over the course of Monday afternoon. According to Tvengström it is not yet clear whether his 31-year-old brother is in any state to be interrogated.

“That’s one of the things I am trying to find out right now,” she said.

Students and staff at the girl’s school have placed candles and flowers by the flagpole on the school yard in her honour.

“They’re all reacting in different ways. Many feel sorrow, shock, and that it can’t really have happened,” said the school principal to TT.

The school day began with everyone gathering in the canteen to talk about what has happened and how the students can receive help in dealing with the grief.

Many were already aware of the death of their friend.

In one of the classrooms the students have been given the opportunity to write messages in a book, to light candles and to leave flowers.

“We have focussed on giving support to our students and we will be monitoring them closely to see that they are able to deal with the grief,” said the principal to TT.

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EXPLAINED: What we know about the attack on a Swedish anti-fascist meeting

What happened?

Several masked men burst into a Stockholm theatre on Wednesday night and set off smoke bombs during an anti-fascism event, according to police and participants.

Around 50 people were taking part in the event at the Moment theatre in Gubbängen, a southern suburb of the Swedish capital, organised by the Left Party and the Green Party.

“Three people were taken by ambulance to hospital,” the police said on its website, shortly after the attack.

According to Swedish media, one person was physically assaulted and two had paint sprayed in their faces.

“The Nazis attacked visitors using physical violence, with pepper spray, and vandalised the venue before throwing in some kind of smoke grenade which filled the foyer with smoke,” Expo wrote on its website.

The magazine’s head of education Klara Ljungberg was at the event in order to hold a lecture at the invitation of the two political parties.

What was the meeting about?

According to the Left Party’s press officer, the event was “a meeting about growing fascism”.

Left Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar described the event to public broadcaster SVT as an “open event, for equality among individuals”.

As well as Ljungberg from Expo, panelists at the event included anti-fascist activist Mathias Wåg, who also writes for Swedish centre-left tabloid Aftonbladet.

“They were determined and went straight for me,” Wåg told Expo just after the attack. “I received a few blows but nothing that caused serious damage.”

“I was invited to be on a panel in order to discuss anti-fascism with representatives from the Left Party and the Green Party,” he told the magazine. “I didn’t know this was going to happen, but there’s obviously a risk when Expo and I are in the same place.”

What has the reaction been like?

All of Sweden’s parties across the political spectrum have denounced the attack, with Dadgostar describing it as a “threat to our democracy” when TT newswire interviewed her at the theatre a few hours after the attack occurred.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, from the conservative Moderates, called the attack “abhorrent”.

The Moderates, Christian Democrats and Liberals are currently in government with the support of the far-right Sweden Democrats, while the Social Democrats, Left Party, Centre Party and Green Party are in opposition.

“It is appalling news that a meeting hosted by the Left Party has been stormed,” Kristersson told TT. “I have reached out to Nooshi Dadgostar and expressed my deepest support. This type of abhorrent action has no place in our free and open society.”

“Right-wing extremists want to scare us into silence,” Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson wrote on X. “They will never be allowed to succeed.”

“The attack by right-wing extremists at a political meeting is a direct attack on our democracy and freedom of speech,” Green Party co-leader Daniel Helldén wrote on X. “My thoughts are with those who were affected this evening.”

Sweden Democrat party leader Jimmie Åkesson wrote in an email to TT that “political violence is terrible, in all its forms, and does not belong in Sweden.”

“All democratic forces must stand in complete solidarity against all kinds of politically motivated violence,” he continued.

His party has previously admitted to being founded by people from “fascist movement” New Swedish Movement, skinheads, and people with “various types of neo-Nazi contact”.

“It is an attack not only on the Left Party, Green Party and the Expo Foundation, but also on our entire democratic society,” Centre Party leader Muharrem Demirok, who referred to the attackers as “Nazis”, wrote on social media. “Those affected have all my support.”

Christian Democrat leader Ebba Busch and Liberal leader Johan Pehrson both referred to the attackers as “anti-democratic forces”.

“It is never acceptable for a political meeting to be stormed by anti-democratic forces,” Busch wrote. “There is no place for this in our society.”

“Anti-democratic forces like this represent a serious threat to our democracy and must be met with society’s hardest iron fist,” Pehrson said.

What about the attackers? Has anyone been arrested?

Not yet. The police had not made any arrests at the time of writing on Thursday morning.

According to TT, police did not want to comment on who could be behind the attack.

It is currently being investigated as a violation of the Flammable and Explosive Goods Act, assault, causing danger to others and disturbing public order.

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