Hate mail policeman wants his job back
A policeman in Malmö who was fired for writing hateful emails to is now demanding his job back. He also want 120,000 kronor in compensation.
The 45-year-old former commander was pushed off the force after heavyweight Social Democrat Ilmar Reepalu and local civil servant Ewa Bengtsson reported his correspondences to the prosecutor's office.
But the Swedish Police Union is of the opinion that it is high time to give the officer his job back.
"Ten years of irreproachable service need to be set against this one aberration. We consider his dismissal to have been unlawful and are demanding his reinstatement," said union representative Johan Karlman.
Negotiations surrounding the man's case will take place at the Labour Court on Thursday.
"Our position is clear. He went far beyond what is acceptable," said Ulf Berg, a legal expert from the Police Disciplinary Board that decided last year to fire the officer.
The policeman wrote the following to Ewa Bengtsson:
"You and Ilmar Reepalu treat old Swedes who have worked hard building up the fatherland like parasites and would rather give my taxes to criminals called Mohammed from Rosengård."
To Ilmar Reepalu, he wrote:
"Withdraw your massive subsidies to all the bloody immigrants in Rosengård and let Swedes who have sweated their whole lives building Sweden have their share of our prosperity. Jesus Christ, how I hate you and your damned socialist party."
The commander was charged with inciting hatred of a minority group but was later freed by Malmö District Court.
The court stated that the contents of the e-mail he sent to Reepalu were offensive and degrading, but said that the police officer had had no intention of spreading his views more widely - despite the fact that the message became public when he sent it to the council leader.
Despite being freed by the court, the officer was later dismissed by the Police Disciplinary Board.
"We are going to point that out too. He was freed and has consequently not committed any crime," said Johan Karlman.
The man is expected to appear in front of the Labour Court on Thursday. He says that he now regrets the words he used in the emails.
The Police Union made it clear that it did not wish to defend the emails in any way but suggested that disciplinary action in the form of a warning or a transfer would have been sufficient.
His former employers however argue that the man's email messages displayed that he was unfit for police service.
The Police Union counters that a police officer has just as much right to participate in the public debate as any other citizen and that two unsuitable emails should not be enough to eradicate all confidence in his abilities.
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The 45-year-old former commander was pushed off the force after heavyweight Social Democrat Ilmar Reepalu and local civil servant Ewa Bengtsson reported his correspondences to the prosecutor's office.
But the Swedish Police Union is of the opinion that it is high time to give the officer his job back.
"Ten years of irreproachable service need to be set against this one aberration. We consider his dismissal to have been unlawful and are demanding his reinstatement," said union representative Johan Karlman.
Negotiations surrounding the man's case will take place at the Labour Court on Thursday.
"Our position is clear. He went far beyond what is acceptable," said Ulf Berg, a legal expert from the Police Disciplinary Board that decided last year to fire the officer.
The policeman wrote the following to Ewa Bengtsson:
"You and Ilmar Reepalu treat old Swedes who have worked hard building up the fatherland like parasites and would rather give my taxes to criminals called Mohammed from Rosengård."
To Ilmar Reepalu, he wrote:
"Withdraw your massive subsidies to all the bloody immigrants in Rosengård and let Swedes who have sweated their whole lives building Sweden have their share of our prosperity. Jesus Christ, how I hate you and your damned socialist party."
The commander was charged with inciting hatred of a minority group but was later freed by Malmö District Court.
The court stated that the contents of the e-mail he sent to Reepalu were offensive and degrading, but said that the police officer had had no intention of spreading his views more widely - despite the fact that the message became public when he sent it to the council leader.
Despite being freed by the court, the officer was later dismissed by the Police Disciplinary Board.
"We are going to point that out too. He was freed and has consequently not committed any crime," said Johan Karlman.
The man is expected to appear in front of the Labour Court on Thursday. He says that he now regrets the words he used in the emails.
The Police Union made it clear that it did not wish to defend the emails in any way but suggested that disciplinary action in the form of a warning or a transfer would have been sufficient.
His former employers however argue that the man's email messages displayed that he was unfit for police service.
The Police Union counters that a police officer has just as much right to participate in the public debate as any other citizen and that two unsuitable emails should not be enough to eradicate all confidence in his abilities.
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