Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

CRIME

Sweden sees fall in public urination fines

At least 1,500 people have been fined for urinating in public in Sweden so far this year, showing a decrease in the offence compared with the same period last year.

Published: 27 July 2015 16:34 CEST

Sweden sees fall in public urination fines

Public urinators in the western county of Västra Götaland were found to be the worst offenders. File photo: TT

According to figures from the Swedish police and compiled by the investigative news agency Nyhetsbyrån Siren, 1,500 people were fined for public urination in Sweden between January and June this year.

The number shows a decrease compared with the same period last year when 1,684 were fined.

Urinating in public is a criminal offence in Sweden and anyone caught doing it could face a fine for disorderly conduct.

Public urinators in the western county of Västra Götaland were found to be the worst offenders, with 253 fines handed out.

This was followed by Jönköping County with 157. A total of 191 were fined in Stockholm County.

Fredrik Wallen, a spokesperson for East Region Police said it was not known why more people were fined in some areas compared with others.

“But generally speaking, we can see peaks of this when we are out and patrolling at large events and gatherings. It is of course natural that we have to catch these people in the act,” Wallen told Nyhetsbyrån Siren.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

Over a thousand people join protest against Stockholm attack

The demonstration, which was organised by the Left Party and the Green Party together with Expo, an anti-extremist magazine, was held outside the Moment theatre, where masked assailants attacked a lecture organised by the two parties on Wednesday.

In the attack, the assailants – described as Nazis by Expo – let off smoke grenades and assaulted several people, three of whom were hospitalised.

“Let’s say it how it is: this was a terror attack and that is something we can never accept,” said Amanda Lind, who is expected to be voted in as the joint leader of the Green Party on Sunday.

She said that those who had attended the lecture had hoped to swap ideas about how to combat racism.

“Instead they had to experience smoke bombs, assault and were forced to think ‘have they got weapons’?. The goal of this attack was to use violence to generate fear and silence people,” she said.

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

More than a thousand people gathered to protest the attack on a theatre in Gubbängen, Stockholm. Photo: Oscar Olsson/TT

Nooshi Dadgostar, leader of the Left Party, said that that society needed to stand up against this type of extreme-right violence.

“We’re here today to show that which should be obvious: we will not give up, we will stand up for ourselves, and we shall never be silenced by racist violence,” said said.

Sofia Zwahlen, one of the protesters at the demonstration, told the DN newspaper that it felt positive that so many had turned up to show their opposition to the attacks.

“It feels extremely good that there’s been this reaction, that we are coming together. I’m always a little worried about going to this sort of demonstration. But this feels safe.”

Url copied to clipboard!