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"A false description of the Swedish legal system"

Politics | 2011-02-08 | 18 comments

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Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt. Photo: Stockholm News

A totally false image of the Swedish legal system is spread in international media. This says Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt today.

Since Julian Assange came under police investigation for rape in Sweden, several international debaters have questioned the Swedish legal system. In the most extreme conspiracy theories the accusations have been mentioned that it is controlled by CIA.

Prime Minister Reinfeldt says to the newspaper Expressen that the right for women to start a legal process when they claim they have been victims of abuse is at stake. He says that Sweden has reached far when it comes to not accepting any kind of sexual abuse and those who attack the Swedish legal system is trying to limit the right for women to take a claimed sexual abuse to court.

Reinfeldt also comments in Expressen on Assange’s lawyer Mark Stephens’ claims that Assange risk not getting a fair trial if he is sent to Sweden.

- This (the false information on the Swedish legal system) is unfortunately the consequences when, in order to defend a client, one describe other countries legal systems in a patronizing way. But everyone who lives in Sweden know this is not true. The Swedish legal system is independent and work in accordance with the law.

Claes Borgström, the former Equality Ombudsman and legal representative of the two women who accuse Assange for sexual abuse, says to Svenska dagbladet (SvD):

- There is a lot of false information about the Swedish legal system, about me and above all about my clients.

Jan Strid, a Swedish media researcher says to SvD that some of the criticism against the Swedish legal system is justified even though it is exaggerated.

- It has been more politicized, with populist laws that doesn’t work he says to SvD.

The American film maker Michael Moore and the Australian journalist John Pilger are two of the people who have criticized the Swedish legal system for being connected to politics.

Tommie Ullman

tommie.ullman@stockholmnews.com

Readers' comments

2011-02-13 21:27 Wilde1 XX wrote:

What a tragic set of circumstances that this, at the least, doubtful, case of "rape" should overshadow the courageous acts of Julian Assange, who made an error in judgment likely based in male ego--what man has not? If you are focused on the rape story,take a break, log in to read some of the cables & logs that reveal your government´s lies. Not quite the easy reading of tabloid-style stories of star-struck women, having repeated sex acts, taking photos, bragging about it, then claiming rape.

2011-02-13 07:52 cos wrote:

The best way for the Swedish judicial system to counter such criticisms would have been for prosecutors to have dealt with this case in a manner that shows judicial competence, respect for the legal process, and perhaps more importantly, respect for swedish law - such as the handling of information about the accussed. however this has patently not been the case. to now accuse critics of being ´anti women´ is disingenious, and just shows an unwillingness to execute proper judicial oversight.

2011-02-11 16:50 Morgan wrote:

There are obvious and valid questions raised by this case about the Swedish legal system 1 why did Marriane Ny fail to attend the hearing if she can demand that Assange is brought to sweden for questioning why does she lack the integrity to attend the hearing in the UK? Why did she name Assange and not the "victims" why were the sms´s deleted bragging about having slept with Assange and later speaking of financially motivated revenge. Why was Assange not questioned while he was in Sweden?

2011-02-11 01:53 Yap yap wrote:

Finally, a good example (Jenny Allen). Obviously, nobody, male or female, has some kind of singular right to make (or trick) the other into doing something they don´t want to, let alone to put them at risk of STDs. I wouldn´t want Hep or AIDS because a one-night-stand simply didn´t like condoms. Mysogyny? It´s probably more a case of that internal stupid little voice that needs to be heard - but simply knows so little that what comes out is pretty dumb... Or is that the nature of mysogyny?

2011-02-10 02:41 Yap yap wrote:

So many utterly way out there comments, so few testable facts or reference to case law... Rather like Chihuahuas: easy to provoke, noisy, but not bright.

2011-02-09 22:48 Jenny Allen wrote:

Everyone is simply horrified that in Sweden, the right to rape women with impunity is not enshrined in law like it is in most places. Do you mysogynists not know that consenting to safe sex, is not the same as consenting to unsafe sex? Would you think that you had still consented to surgery, if halfway through the operation, the surgeon removed his mask and gloves, coughed all over you and bled into your chest, exposing you to the risk of blood-borne diseases?

2011-02-09 08:19 Rob wrote:

American woman, that was an interesting point of view. I haven´t thought about it. Larsson was a left-wing socialist. The image he gives of Sweden is not likely to make people more positive - but his books have of course nothing to do with reality, and they are not intened to do that. Some people believe novels are reality, they are not.

2011-02-09 01:48 milkshake wrote:

None of the actors look good: Assange - vain and selfish guy, paranoid. His accusers - vindictive, opportunistic, not honest. Prosecution - overzealous and incompetent, with political agenda. This is not a rape case but a comedy of errors about feminists ganging up on a creep. Assange should have been interviewed by police while he was in Sweden and then the complaint should have been closed because there is no evidence to go on with the rape prosecution. It has been a huge waste of effort.

2011-02-09 01:44 Mark wrote:

Apparently most swedish women are suffering from uncontrollable sexual frustration, probably over men rejecting them for their ugliness and hateful behavior, so as a result they have become con artists and backstabbers, especially the ones that have bribed their way into Sweden´s corrupt CIA controlled government.

2011-02-09 00:25 eurocopter wrote:

Mr Reinfeldt´s statement will not be helpful anywhere. Yes, Sweden still is an independent country (I hope), but local or national laws can be unjust, faulty, or even illegal. Let´s wait until the case goes to the European Court of Human Rights and we will see how right Sweden´s legal system is.

2011-02-09 00:12 Lars Martel wrote:

RE:"Sweden has always stayed independent, even during WWII" Sweden´s concessions to Germany during WWII was the extensive export of iron ore for use in the German weapons industry. At the time, British intelligence estimated that German industry relied heavily on Swedish iron ore and a decrease or halt in Swedish ore exports could have a disastrous effect on Germany´s military efforts. Winston Churchill, accused Sweden of ignoring the greater moral issues and playing both sides for profit.

2011-02-08 23:56 Lars Martel wrote:

IF Swedish law is that because of a broken condom means a man can go to jail, even while awaiting trail for rape, the indeed Swedish law is an international joke. If that is not the law, then why was Mr. Asange in jail? The facts speak more clearly than Prime Minister Reinfeldt´s apologist political posturing. Stieg Larsson´s Män som hatar kvinnor not withstanding, the world sees Sweden as out of control.

2011-02-08 23:31 American Woman wrote:

Don´t worry what Michael Moore says about the Swedish legal system -- this is the guy who called for the acquittal of fugitive child-rapist, Roman Polanski. As far as foreign opinion of Swedish law, I think that is being shaped by the Stieg Larsson books and the fight over his estate and not by Assange.

2011-02-08 21:20 peter benkley wrote:

Sweden is becoming laughingstock over this case. Based on the evidence charges should be dropped immediately. There is no chance he will be extradited based on these charges. Nevertheless Assange has lost his Stockholm priviliges.

2011-02-08 21:09 paul randall wrote:

Seems pretty strange to me to define rape so broadly. By any reasonable definition those women were not raped. Unless there is something more that hasn´t been reported it was consensual sex.

2011-02-08 20:03 Rick Methven wrote:

Reinfeldt is a disgrace for interfering with this legal process. Any other country would see calls for his resignation. In addition who is he kidding. The swedish judiciary is outdated and not open to change. 90% of court cases are hidden from the public so no wonder corruption is rife

2011-02-08 19:28 boriska wrote:

"Sweden legal system" issuing international manhunt order, red alert and stuff, over the accusations based on broken condom. Sounds like another Danish joke about Swedes and its "legal system" to me.

2011-02-08 17:52 drrealitycheck wrote:

Americans will believe any conspiracy theory. Sweden has always stayed independent, even during WWII. The rape charge is more likely to be true because it came from an unbiased country. Your legal system is likely one of the few legitimate ones in the world, and you´re feeling other countries jealousy right now.