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CRIME

Car-bomb mum convicted for trying to kill her kids

A central Sweden court on Monday found a woman guilty of trying to kill her own children in an attempted car explosion, after she claimed they "should go with her" into death. Her violent past included shooting and killing her parents as a teen.

Published: 16 December 2013 14:25 CET
Car-bomb mum convicted for trying to kill her kids

The Örebro District Court found the 40-year-old guilty of attempted murder and sentenced her to psychiatric care. The National Board of Forensic Medicine (Rättsmedicinalverket) said that the woman was suffering from a severe mental disorder when she tried to kill herself along with her two children earlier this year. 

The incident took place in September just outside Örebro. In court, it was revealed that the woman opened a liquefied petroleum gas cylinder in the car, which sparked an explosion when the gas was ignited inside the vehicle.

Both children, who are of elementary-school age, suffered light burn injuries to their faces as did the mother. The verdict stated that it was purely a matter of luck that neither the fire nor the explosion proved fatal.

The mother had previously written a letter expressing her desire to die along with her children, stating that they "should go with her".

In an earlier court hearing, the woman admitted that her intention was to kill her children. She agreed to undergo a mental health review, which concluded that the woman ran a high risk of relapse.  

It was her second violent brush with the law. When she was 14, she shot and killed her parents but as she was underage, she was not sentenced for the killing. 

Swedish social services are currently caring for her children. 

The Local/pr

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POLITICS

Over a thousand people join protest against Stockholm attack

Over a thousand people joined a demonstration in Gubbängen, southern Stockholm, on Saturday, protesting Wednesday's attack by far-right extremists on a lecture organised by the Left and Green parties.

Published: 27 April 2024 15:36 CEST
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.”

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