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CRIME

How DNA tracing unravelled a sperm theft scandal at a Swedish hospital

At least five men in Sweden have unwillingly fathered children after their sperm was used for fertility treatments without their permission.

How DNA tracing unravelled a sperm theft scandal at a Swedish hospital
Five men donated sperm samples for fertility tests, with a doctor later using them for fertility treatments without their knowledge. Photo: Gorm Kallestad/NTB

In a press release, Region Halland confirmed that the fertility treatment centre at the county hospital in the region’s capital Halmstad had had “shortcomings in control, follow-ups, and following the applicable laws”. 

“It was known that this section existed, but there was insufficient scrutiny into what it did. There has been a lack or proper procedures, follow-ups and control,” the region’s chief doctor, Anders Åkvist, said in a statement.  

In March, Uppdrag Granskning, the investigations programme run by public broadcaster SVT, reported on the so-called “sperm theft” at the hospital, which took place between 1985 and 1996. 

A doctor at the hospital appears to have used sperm collected for sperm tests as donor sperm in fertility treatment without informing the donors, leading to at least five men becoming fathers unknowingly. 

It has only been since DNA testing became more widespread that it has been possible to connect the children with their real fathers. 

“I’ve been robbed. It’s a huge violation,” Bengt, one of the men, told SVT after he learned what had happened. “What’s going on in my life. I’m father to a child who was born eight months before my daughter.”

Another man, Zdravko Paic, has taken his case to the European Court of Justice, which in July demanded that Sweden provide information on what happened. 

Paic, who is now 74 years old, has now been united with his biological daughter, Emelie Persson, 36, who is also seeking compensation. 

In its report, Region Halland, said that the men whose sperm was used, the women who were inseminated, and the children who were born as a result should all be seen as suffering psychological damage from their medical treatment.

Although the sperm was “stolen” in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the hospital said errors continued to be made as it was already known by 2004 that key documentation was missing in the unit’s medical journals, which Åkvist said should have pushed the hospital to investigate. 

He said that the events would be reported to Sweden’s health inspectorate under Lex Maria, which covers damage sustained during healthcare treatment in Sweden. 

“What we can do now is to answer any questions and help deal with the concerns which are quite understandably felt by those affected,” Åkvist said. 

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CRIME

Illegal Swedish strawberry sales raise billions of kronor for organised crime

Swedish police have carried out raids on strawberry vendors suspected of being linked to gang crime.

Illegal Swedish strawberry sales raise billions of kronor for organised crime

Police told Dagens Nyheter that the raids were connected to one of Sweden’s most wanted gang leaders, Ismail Abdo, nicknamed Jordgubben (“The Strawberry”).

In a statement police said they had “hit a central violent actor by targeting individuals around this person and their business structures”.

Raids were carried out in Bergslagen, as well as the Mitt and Stockholm police regions.

It’s suspected that these sellers had been marketing Belgian strawberries as Swedish and using the revenue to fund serious organised crime. Police also found children under the legal working age and migrants without legal residency permits working at the stalls.

Police believe that illegal strawberry sales turn over billions of kronor every year.

“We’ve carried out multiple actions together with other authorities,” Per Lundbäck, from the Bergslagen policing region, told Swedish news agency TT. “By cutting off the finances off this type of organised crime, we can weaken gangs’ financing and their ability to carry out crimes.”

To avoid buying strawberries linked to crime, Lundbäck recommends paying attention to the company you buy your strawberries from.

“The first thing you can do is look at the number the (mobile phone payment app) Swish payment goes to, to make sure it’s a company number starting with 123, and not a private number,” he said.

Most companies will have their Swish number displayed somewhere on the stand, so you should be able to check this even if you don’t have the app and are paying with card, for example.

He also added that you can pay attention to the age of the person selling the strawberries, describing very young sellers as a “red flag”.

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