Man freed as teenage rape victim commits suicide

Sad as it may be, an accused has the right to confront their accuser. No witness, no trial. Otherwise we could consider it heresy from a third party. Still, the guy is a real piece of work and should have his nuts cut off.

Truly, truly tragic.

It would seem, Sweden isn't as 'female friendly' as I first thought...

One thinks about the psychological support system, medical and mental treatment for the girl. Having the girl suicide is a big failure for these then crappy support agencies. Sometimes I wonder where the heck all the tax I'm paying goes to.

Ironically, Sweden is not female friendly, as so-called "men" are raised as feminists, and free-sex related stigmas don't exist. Swedish men, for the most part have been afraid to really stand up for what is right for centuries.

"an accused has the right to confront their accuser" - not true! Otherwise no-one would ever stand trial for murder/manslaughter. This is why there is a police force and prosecution service to bring the case to court so a guilty person can be punished.

This was an innocent child, manipulated and abused, she deserved to have a beautiful life. This animal needs to receive justice. This is rediculous, just like the USA the criminal has more rights than the victim. This is sickening... I would like to use stronger language but I think I am clear! If she was my sister, I would be going to prison for a very good reason.

Hawkman.usa/chicago

Think about it... if you are dead the police and prosecution service are the accusers as they accuse you of doing it. It is 100% true that if I accuse you of mugging me you have the right to confront me in court as does a person accused of a sex crime.

Do you think a victim gets away without giving evidence in court so a defence lawyer can't cross examine him/her?

I think this case is sadly mirroring similar cases in Iran. Evidence doesn't seem to matter. All that matters is 'witness' statements...

From the Amnesty International website...

"Violence against women is often ignored and rarely punished"

Even in a country such as Sweden this quote is also relevant. I fear that because Sweden is deemed by most as a 'civil' country, no one will speak up about this and hence nothing will be done to prevent further cases like this.

What a bunch of drama-queens you all are.

This is a tragic story. Tragic because his release was right. Without the accuser to testify the trial could not go on...

If someone seriously believes the opposite you're being too emotional and not thinking logically. And that's really dangerous.

Are you kidding me! If this young girls death is directly attributed to this adults behavior he is directly responcible for her death! Why would a young woman kill herself unless she was completely overwhelmed by; first the torture, humiliation and guilt, like it was her fault. She was a child, he is a man. We live in the age of the modern man, and we are so weak to protect those who are weaker and allow freedom to those who should be exterminated. I hope someone can change that, I don't know who.

I am sorry I do not know what else to say, I am very sad.

Hawkman.usa/chicago

One attractive feature of our justice system is that it tries to be dispassionate and requires a high burden of evidence to be put forward before someone is convicted. The old principle that its better that nine guilty people go free than one innocent person is punished is one to which I strongly adhere. One day I may be accused of a crime I didn't commit and I would then be very grateful for a justice system which required demonstrable and convinving proof of guilt before a conviction.

This is clearly a tragic case. However, we only know what we've read in the media, and this isn't sufficient to allow us to draw reliable conclusions regarding what happened.

I do not know all the facts. But if there is any physical evidence then it should be presented. DNA is a very powerful tool to convict or exhonorate someone. I would like to be more objective, but if this is the man in question, there must be someone to attest to his presence in her life.

Did this young girl write, have a friend? There has got to be some evidence that cannot be denied.

It's now just for the truth, Are there not special protections for children in Sweden? Statutory Rape! Sexual Battery on a Child! Something?

Hopefully the legal administration will find some evidence and law to do the right thing. I have heard some very sad things lately, I thought the usa was bad. There are good and bad everywhere. I hope Sweden will decide not to play chess with men who play war (on their own people). My country seems to be as disgusting as well, rights for the very evident criminal and none for the innocent.

May God Bless Sweden,

Hawkman.usa/chicago

the accuser can be the dna, let this scum confront the dna!

Let me at him. Give me a few minutes with this piece of crap alone, and I will so strangle him with my bear hands and watch and laugh as the lights go out in his eyes. I will gladly do, what is it here in Sweden... 7 years for murder, to get this guy off the streets before he does it again to another child. Get away with it "scott-free" and he will do it again and agian.

I know. Im'a victim myself. And a very proud Drama Queen..wear it on my shirt, tyvm.

And Keethar, I hope you are joking at your post. No, actually I don't give a flying F...

I am just pissed off from being pissed on. Another child, dead.

WTF is going on in this world.

Inlet

How do you know he's guilty ?

Very true Nomark, I take a step back. Can't say that I was there.

Still enraged

Inlet

Are you kidding me???

Does that mean ... whenever a victim dies, there should be no trial???

What about any evidence? DNA? Parents? Friends? Anyone/Anything? Are they just going to give up on the case that easily?

Who the hell decided that there will no longer be a trial?

Someone needs to take this further...and if this guy is guilty then he should be held responsible for her death too!

"How do you know he is guilty"?

We don't, and now we never will because the ONLY credible witness (apparantly) is no longer around.

Why was a 15 year old made to confront her attacker in court??

Go ahead. Hope you can live with the fact that you may have killed an innocent man. After all, the trial never went through since the only witness died.

Explains why you're reacting so emotionally.

And no, I'm not joking.

It is so sad that the Girl has committed a suicide, but I think that the court should keep the investigation going on and get more info why the girl committed suicide when she would get a fair judgment and person would be found guilty with her testimony.

it's always a terrible event when anyone, especially so young, feels so desperate that taking her own life becomes a comforting alternative. unfortunately, for there to be credibility and integrity in the law, a conviction must come with no room for doubt. an accusation must have source and that source must exist for a trial to take place.

this poor girl will never have justice, but our legal system remains just.

I find it really really unfair,what if that girl took such a sad decison due to what this man did to her?,so he is and will always be responsible.

how sad, how can this be. its not fair, he should be put to sleep, sen him to tijuana mexico, we will take care of him.

Put your pitchforks away, there will be no witches burned today. We do not know if he is guilty or if he is innocent. And I don't know the Swedish system that well, but I can't see it working in a Guilty until proven Innocent type of way.

The police obviously don't have any real evidence outside of her testimony, That is probably why the case was thrown out!

I will say one thing though, the people that have condemned Sweden and its laws towards women simply due to the occurences of this case are seriously twisted. The circumstances of this case aren't the type that occur too often! I don't think its fair to come out with a judgement simply based on them.

I don't know how defense attorneys are in Sweden, but a good defense attorney here would totally rip into her, that she's an unreliable witness, a drug abuser, and probably character assassinate her. Perhaps it is for the better that she will not have to endure that. Sadly, now we will never know what happened. Any DNA evidence just proves they had sex, perhaps it was consentual, doubtful, but a defense attorney could bring that up as well.

He was probably guilty of something...give him the chair.

I was thinking more about this case, and how, if anything, can come good of all that has happend. Maybe Sweden will take a new look at the laws surrounding.

Tragic. Touched close to home base, yes. Sorry for my sudden outburst earlier.

Inlet

i am pretty sure this case would no longer go to trial in any other modern legal system. do you know where else in the world this case would have gone to trial?

There must be more than just what she was "going to say" during the trial.

Can't they use the evidence they collected - her previous testimony, and do a further investigation.

They can't just forget about it.

Well... hopefully now that the story is in the media... they won't just drop it.

**snipped>> the 42-year-old who is alleged to have supplied her with drugs.

He is also alleged to have rape her repeatedly over the course of last year, when the girl was only 14-years-old. from article**

Sexual relations with a person who has not reached the statutory age of consent. The girl was not of age of consent, by Swedish law.

For example, an adult who commits a crime in the presence of a child can be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, as can an adult who serves alcoholic beverages to anyone under the legal drinking age. Not to exclude either is sexual exploitation, which could include having sexual relations with minors, pornography and trafficking.

Yes, to answer question asked is yes, I do believe the State would pick up these charges.

Not to mention Civil law, which Sweden has not much of, loss of life.

wow, kaether, how awful that people would get upset at a case like this. please go back to your cold, unfeeling life...

are you talking about the US and saying that you think this case would proceed if it were in the US? or am i misunderstanding something?