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On September 14, a woman in a Facebook group writes that she saw a man sitting next to a group of young girls. When they have moved, the man has moved behind. When the girls get off the bus, the man is about to follow them, but when they run away, he turns around and stays on the bus.
The woman describing the incident contacts the police.
“For preventive purposes, if something really bad really happened,” he writes in the Facebook group, which is aimed at people living in Billdal, south of Gothenburg.
On the same day, the On September 14, the police receive a report about an alleged sexual harassment. A man, according to the report, sat next to a woman on a bus and pushed himself against her. When the woman gets out, the man grabs her around the waist and touches her ass, as described.
On September 14, a woman reports that she has been the victim of sexual harassment on an express bus between Billdal and central Gothenburg.
Photo: Veronika Ljung-Nielsen
Another complaint of sexual harassment will be received on September 18. The same man is then verbally and physically declared “to have violated the sexual integrity of another person” at a bus stop.
The incidents are being investigated by the police. The man is being questioned. The prosecutor considers that the evidence is not strong enough and the preliminary investigation is closed.
But in parallel with The legal process is ongoing discussions on social media about what happened. In the Facebook group where the first post about the man was published, images appear of a person who is described as the culprit. Several members report that they have seen him on a certain bus or stop at a certain time. According to testimonies, the man appears to travel back and forth by express bus between Billdal and the city center, several times a day.
– After a while, people began to understand that this man does not feel well, says a member of the Facebook group to DN.
According to some testimonies, the man is perceived under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Several describe him as mentally ill. Updates on the man’s movement pattern become more frequent. “The man who follows the girls is now on Blå express against Snipen”, writes one person, “… he is on Rosa Express which just left Järntorget” reports another. Several describe that they traveled on the same bus as the man, but did not say or do “anything.”
Linda Bergvall is a municipal police officer in the Greater Gothenburg South Local Police Area. She encourages anyone who feels they have been the victim of a crime to report it to the police.
Photo: Police
Municipal Police Linda Bergvall is critical of discussions on social media.
– The situation has become … unhappy.
It’s perfectly okay to warn other people that they are at risk of being exposed to crime, says Linda Bergvall. But intense online discussions can generate speculation and concerns that harm, rather than protect, people.
– Crimes must be reported to the police. When there is an angry state of mind, which goes against taking the law into your own hands, then you go crazy, she says.
In the group For residents of Billdal, there are several people who have criticized the comments about the man. DN contacts Eva Lindstein, who decided to enter the discussion when she felt the posts about the man had turned threatening. A recall call said, “Pick the ace!”
– I fully understand that parents are concerned, that is not what I react to. But this is something else. This atmosphere churning on social media … it’s disgusting, she says.
A slew of members on Facebook have joined the discussion about the man on the bus. Some posts have been aggressive and offensive. Eva Lindstein is happy they kept her when she said no.
Photo: Veronika Ljung-Nielsen
DN has sought contact with several people who wrote about the man or posted photos of him in the group. A woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, writes to DN that she thinks it is good for members to report where the man is.
“Then you can protect your daughters. But if you do that, you have to be sure what you are spreading and that he is doing something that is not normal.”
Also the law student Ario Ebrahimpur, who lives in Kullavik near Billdal, follows the discussion on social media. Explain in the group that anyone who witnesses a serious crime has the right to detain the aggressor until the police arrive.
– On the other hand, we shouldn’t have the citizen guard hanging around. One or two registrations have been made. They have to be taken care of by the police, he tells DN.
Ario Ebrahimpur says he understands the urge to warn other people. “But there has been an angry mood in the comment fields that is leading nowhere.”
Photo: Veronika Ljung-Nielsen
A new report of suspected sexual harassment will be received on October 10. The man is now under arrest and then requested to be detained, for probable cause and on suspicion of a total of seven cases of sexual harassment or harassment. Two of the cases are those reported on September 14 and 18.
Prosecutor Moa Widjer says there is a risk that the man will relapse into crime or stay away from the police if he is released. The man is under arrest.
– These are seven applicants, all young girls, several of them under 18 years, Moa Widjer tells DN.
But there is another person who may have been the victim of a crime in connection with the Billdal events. Regardless of whether the man who has been found guilty is convicted or not, those who have disseminated information about himself may have committed a crime.
The defamation provision, which is enshrined in Swedish law, does not primarily take into account whether a statement about a person is true or not, explains Ängla Eklund, a lawyer and president of the Institute for Law and Internet. The exception is if the nominee has a position in society such that the information is considered to be of great public interest.
– It does not matter if you think you have a legitimate interest in warning others. As a citizen, you do not have that responsibility, nor that function in society, he says.
Ängla Eklund, a lawyer and president of the Internet and Law Institute, believes there will be more defamation cases in the future.
Photo: Severus Tenenbaum
In Sweden, we have a far-reaching freedom of expression, according to the lawyer. But anyone who wants to attack someone else’s criminal acts must do so through the judiciary, not through social media.
– The defamation provision is a delicate balance between protecting someone’s integrity and restricting freedom of expression, says Ängla Eklund.
The lawyer believes that we will see more defamation lawsuits in the future. He says it is important that crime victims feel confident in the judiciary and decide to report what they have suffered.
– The judiciary must ensure that people do not end up in a position where they feel compelled to turn to social media to tell stories, he says.
Prosecutor Moa Widjer tells DN that she hopes to press charges against the suspect within two weeks. The man denies the accusations.
Here you will find more reports and news from western Sweden.
