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CRIME

Plea for help in hunt for Swedish woman’s killer

Swedish police have released a picture of the 21-year-old jogger murdered on a running track almost a month ago as her mother prepares to make a television appeal.

Plea for help in hunt for Swedish woman's killer
Ida Johansson, who was found dead on a running track in Upplands Väsby. Photo: Polisen

Police launched a murder probe after dog handlers found missing woman Ida Johansson, 21, dead in the early hours of August 6th in the Runby area of the Stockholm suburb of Upplands Väsby.

But after almost a month of investigation – including hauling more than 350 people to a police station to compare their DNA to traces discovered on the scene – her killer has still not been found.

“Although many interrogations have been held and many tips have been received we urge everyone who has made observations; has knowledge of anyone who behaved differently before, during or after the time of the crime; or has any other information to offer, to get in touch with the police,” said Stockholm region police press spokesperson Lars Byström in a statement.

Meanwhile, Ida's mother was set to make her first public appearance after her daughter's death on Swedish television crime show 'Nya Efterlyst' ('New Wanted'), to be broadcast at 9pm on Wednesday night on TV8.

In a heartbreaking interview quoted in advance by the Aftonbladet tabloid, she tells viewers about coping with her daughter's death, describing Ida as a happy young woman and the life and soul of the family.

She also reiterates the police's appeal for information, pleading with anyone who knows anything about what happened on the running track in Runby to come forward.


Tributes left at the running track in the Runby area of Upplands Väsby. Photo: Vilhelm Stokstad/TT

Officers hope releasing her picture will trigger the memory of potential witnesses.

“All details or identifying data may be of interest to us. It is important that the person who has seen something lets us evaluate the particular detail, we are the ones putting the pieces of the puzzle together and have the whole picture,” Byström told the TT news agency.

The murder stirred debate in Sweden about female safety while out running. Just days later thousands of people took to tracks across the Nordic country in the much-publicized 'Run with love' campaign to pay tribute to Ida – and to show defiance in the face of fear.

“Everyone I meet on the trail always asks me how I can be running alone, but I refuse to let myself be affected. It feels like we're honouring her by doing this together,” orienteering enthusiast Amanda Jonasson, 25, told Aftonbladet at the time.

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CRIME

IN NUMBERS: Has Sweden’s wave of deadly gang violence peaked?

The number of deadly shootings in Sweden has fallen after hitting a record in 2022, according to the latest annual statistics from the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå). But violent killings continued to rise and more women and youths were victims.

IN NUMBERS: Has Sweden's wave of deadly gang violence peaked?

How bad was 2023 for violent homicide in general? 

With 121 violent homicides recorded, 2023 was the worst year for murder in Sweden since 2020, when 124 people were killed in violent attacks, continuing a rising trend seen since 2021. The number of violent killings was up 4 percent on 2022, when 116 people were killed. 

It’s worth pointing out, however, that this is still lower than the 129 people who died of “murder, manslaughter or violent attack” in Sweden back in 1989,  when the population was nearly 20 percent lower. 

The graph below shows how the number of violent homicides in Sweden rose sharply in about 2014, after which it has seen a gradual but unsteady increase.  

Homicides in Sweden between 2013 and 2023. Source: Brå
 
What about deadly shootings?
 
When it comes to the gang shootings that have dominated headlines in Sweden in recent years, there were signs of improvement, with 53 people shot dead in 2023, down from a record 63 in 2022.  
 
It’s hardly great news though, as 2023 still witnessed the second highest number of deadly shootings ever recorded in Sweden. 
 
The number of fatal stabbings also increased slightly in 2023 to 41 from 35 in 2022. 

 

Deadly shootings, stabbings and other forms of violent murder between 2013 and 2023. Source: Brå
 
Tragically, in 2023, gang criminals in Sweden increasingly began to target the relatives and loved ones of their rivals and also to use minors in their gang wars, leading to a spike in the number of women and youths killed. 
 
Ten more women and nine more people under the age of 18 died in violent attacks in 2023 than in 2022, pushing the number of female victims to 33 and the number of youth victims to 17. 
 
“This year more minors and women have been homicide victims compared with the year before,” Jan Lundbeck, a statistician at the council said in a press release. “This is partly a result of conflicts in criminal circles which had had deadly consequences in which people under the ae of 18 and even women have been affected.” 

Ten of the 33 women killed were in a relationship with their killer, the same number as in 2022. 

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