• Sweden edition

'Dad killed kids' in Good Friday crash

Published: 16 Apr 09 09:22 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/18880/20090416/

Police believe that a car crash in southern Sweden in which two young boys died on Good Friday may have been planned by their 37-year-old father, who also died in the frontal collision with a local bus.

Prosecutor Anna Håkansson in Malmö launched a formal murder investigation on Wednesday after police found a suicide note in the man's home.

"The background here seems to be relationship-based," police investigator Thomas Håkansson told newspaper Sydsvenskan.

Police are working on the hypothesis that the father intentionally swerved over to the wrong side of the road in his Saab in order to meet an oncoming yellow Skånetrafiken bus head on.

The 37-year-old and his two sons, 8 and 4, all lost their lives in the crash outside Staffanstorp, 14-kilometres east of Malmö.

As the murder suspect is dead, the ongoing investigation will not lead to a criminal indictment. If she is to receive compensation for the deaths of her two sons, the boys' mother will have to file a civil suit against the dead man's estate.

TT/The Local (news@thelocal.se/08 656 6518)

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09:40 April 16, 2009 by 7
i will never understand how a parent can ever use children as instruments of revenge upon the other parent.

also, it just struck me that the only cases that come to mind at this moment (so far from researched) are of men killing children/committing suicide as acts of vengeance.

though it seems men and women alike use children as pawns and bargaining chips in relationship disputes. it's really so sad.
10:07 April 16, 2009 by unkle strunkle
I will never understand how a man can feel justified in killing his wife or daughter for reasons of so-called honour, or for any reason. Honour killings are the cases that come to my mind at the moment. These are the most cowardly men on earth.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2002...guardianweekly1

http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2...orldwide303.htm

http://www.stophonourkillings.com/?name=Ne...cle&sid=999
10:14 April 16, 2009 by 7
seems like you support that the common denominator is "men". why do men hurt people to exact revenge?
12:04 April 16, 2009 by VikingHumpingWitch
For the record, I think it's idiotic to suggest that because a small number of men do things like this that somehow All Men are in some way responsible. I think a name change is needed, what about Tant JackbootedFemiNazi instead?
12:12 April 16, 2009 by 7
totally agree. i'm just trying to recall if there are cases where the mother killed off children as a form of revenge against the father (there are enough cases of women killing their children, but there never seems to be spite as a motivator.)
12:28 April 16, 2009 by Plowbridge H. Broad
The one that has most to lose will strike out more.

In relationship split-ups it is the woman that gets to keep the kids 99/100. The man is rendered helpless by law and desperate reactions are accordingly made outside the law.

Therefore men and women are probably similar ratio-wise in this scenario.
12:31 April 16, 2009 by VikingHumpingWitch
Do you really think that's it? A kind of "if I can't have them 100% of the time I'd rather they were dead and nobody has them" thing?

I don't know any stats, but going on the People I Know calculation, childcare following divorce is generally split here in Sweden.
12:40 April 16, 2009 by 7
that's generally the case as long as everyone is thinking of the children's best interest. unfortunately, the fathers are still often more "left out" in the current system when there's a battle. i know of a fair share of deadbeat dads true enough, but i also know enough good guys who have to fight an uphill battle to get fair rights to their own children here in sweden. never easy.
12:47 April 16, 2009 by Plowbridge H. Broad
Man is much more aggressive by nature and as such will act accordingly so.
12:57 April 16, 2009 by VikingHumpingWitch
Towards children though? Even their own?

I'm not buying any of this. We'll be going down the "men should not be allowed contact with children ever" road next.
13:24 April 16, 2009 by Jasoncarter
No, it's not just men that do it:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england...ber/6177642.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england...ber/4978128.stm

These two women - within 4 months of each other - decided to throw themselves and their children off the Humber Bridge in 2006.
13:31 April 16, 2009 by VikingHumpingWitch
How about if we herd children all off to the safety of vast out-of-town childfarms, there to be left in the care of fully-vetted child-handlers until they're old enough to be safe to have to contact with their potentially murderous parents?
13:42 April 16, 2009 by Jasoncarter
Quite - 84% of child murders are committed by the parents, not the funny old man leaping out on them in the park. We should get all children, wrap them in cotton wool and store them in vaults until they are 18.
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