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DAY-CARE RAPE CASE

KALMAR

Re-trial looms in rape case after judge report

A senior judge has warned that a high profile day-care rape case could go to re-trial after the presiding judge was reported for alleged child porn offences.

Re-trial looms in rape case after judge report
A police officer stands outside the daycare at the centre of the high profile case. File photo: TT
"This is insane," said Conny Jörneklint, chief judge at Kalmar District Court, to the Aftonbladet daily which broke the original story.
 
The Local reported on Saturday that on the last day of the trial the presiding judge, Lars Annerén, gave the order for the district court's camera to be directed at a screen showing a number of pictures and videos taken by the accused, so that the evidence would be recorded.
 
The decision was criticised by a representative from the Swedish National Police Board and has led to Annerén being reported and investigated for aggravated child pornography crimes.
 
Judge Annerén has blasted the decision saying that he was considering handing over the case to another judge unless the investigation was discontinued.
 
Jörneklint on Monday indicated that the decision may be out of Annerén's hands, stating that he doesn't believe the judge can continue in the case in the current circumstances.
 
"I therefore look forward to a swift decision from an investigator that the case against him is dismissed," he told Aftonbladet.
 
The decision to report the judge has been met with criticism from several legal experts and Jörneklint feared that the case could lead to a re-trial.
 
"I hope that we don't have to re-do the case. With respect to all those involved – parents, day-care staff who have with great anguish testified in the case, and also the defendant," he said.
 
The Swedish National Police Board defended its decision to report Annerén's decision to film the material saying that because of its nature there is a risk that it is distributed further.
 
Jörneklint is however scathing of the board's decision.
 
"It can only have been taken by someone ignorant of the legal process," he told Aftonbladet.
 
The 21-year-old man charged with aggravated sex crimes against children at a day-care near Kalmar has already confessed to the charges, and called his internship, which began on January 27th, as a "golden opportunity".
 
The man is alleged to have begun sexually abusing the children at the daycare the same day. His crimes were only unearthed on April 3rd, when a four-year-old went home and informed her parents what had happened. 

Police later confiscated just under 600 pictures and over 200 films from the man's computer. Around half of the images and films were deemed to be aggravated instances of child porn.

So far the parents of twelve children have submitted damages claims to the court. In total the man may have to pay up to 1,6 million kronor ($241,100) in compensation to the families.

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