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Sweden Democrat MEP faces trial over alleged groping incident

AFP/The Local
AFP/The Local - [email protected]
Sweden Democrat MEP faces trial over alleged groping incident
Peter Lundgren represents the Sweden Democrats in the European Parliament. Photo: Fredrik Persson/TT

A Swedish MEP representing the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats has been charged with sexually molesting a female party colleague.

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Peter Lundgren, a 56-year-old member of the Sweden Democrats, was charged with "violating… the sexual integrity" of a female party member.

He was accused of touching her chest at a Stockholm hotel in March 2018, according to court documents seen AFP.

In interviews, Lundgren has admitted to grabbing the woman's chest, but has said he has apologized to her and considered the matter over.

In a previous comment to broadcaster SVT the woman called it a misunderstanding.

"At this time Peter misinterpreted and went too far. I told him no and he stopped," the woman said.

Sweden Democrats press officer Henrik Gustafsson told Swedish news agency TT that the party had had a "good dialogue" with Lundgren and the woman and had "therefore seen the matter as resolved".

"In view of the new information that has emerged, we have to await the legal process, which we are obviously going to monitor," added Gustafsson.

The event caused turmoil within the party when it was revealed in May of this year.

According to the Expressen newspaper, Sweden Democrats' MEP Kristina Winberg was dropped from the party's European Parliament list after alerting the leadership to Lundgren's actions.

A press release, said Winberg was not "loyal" to the party and had "conspired" to "smear" a member and "damage the party's reputation".

In 2014, Lundgren and Winberg became the first two MEPs from the Sweden Democrats. In 2019 Lundgren was reelected, but Winberg left the European Parliament.

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