The assault took place at a summer house where the woman was staying with her boyfriend at the time.

After he attacked her, she left the house by car, despite being under the influence of alcohol and without a driving licence. The incident took place in April last year.

While in the car, she called police and agreed on a place to meet them. When they got there, they carried out a breathalyzer test and found her blood alcohol level was 1.2 mg/ml — well above Sweden’s relatively low legal limit of 0.2 mg/ml, and above the threshold for “aggravated” drink-driving (1 mg/ml). 

A district court found her guilty of aggravated drink-driving and driving without a licence, but she has now been acquitted by a court of appeal.

Judges at the court of appeal in Norrland said there was no doubt that the woman was in an emergency situation, after the district court said she could have called someone to come and collect her.