Today in Sweden: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
'Miracle' no one injured in Stockholm's latest explosion, police called out to double blasts in Gothenburg, verdict to be pronounced in 'snippa' retrial, and Hungary's president signs Sweden's Nato ratification. Here's the latest news.
'Miracle' no one injured in Farsta Strand explosion
Police had on Wednesday morning due to the risk of collapse not yet been able to let forensic teams into an apartment building in Farsta Strand, south of Stockholm, where a powerful explosion on the fourth floor forced residents to evacuate late on Tuesday evening.
The explosion happened in the stairs of the building at around 9.30pm and caused significant damage to the facade.
A dozen people were taken to hospital to be checked over, but no obvious injuries were reported.
"It's a miracle no one was injured," police spokesperson Daniel Wikdahl told the TT newswire.
Aftonbladet reports that a 14-year-old boy is being held in connection with the explosion, but police declined to confirm when asked.
It's the second explosion in the area, and third in Stockholm, in less than 24 hours. Seven people received minor injuries in two separate blasts in Fagersjö, close to Farsta Strand, and Lidingö in north-eastern Stockholm on Monday evening. Swedish public broadcaster SVT was one of several media outlets that reported that two men with connections to the Foxtrot gang are registered as living at the addresses.
Wikdahl confirmed that police were investigating whether or not the three incidents are linked.
Swedish vocabulary: a miracle – ett under
Double explosions in Gothenburg in early hours of Wednesday
Two explosions were reported in Västra Frölunda in Gothenburg in the early hours of Wednesday, just a couple of minutes apart.
Police and emergency services were called out to the blasts at two separate apartment buildings at around 1.30am, and found that something had exploded outside the main front doors, reports TT.
One resident received minor cut injuries, but otherwise no injuries were reported and the buildings did not have to be evacuated.
Police are investigating whether the two incidents are linked.
No suspects were being held at the time of publication, at around 6am on Wednesday.
Swedish vocabulary: Wednesday – onsdag
Verdict to be pronounced in snippa retrial
An appeals court is soon set to pronounce its new verdict in a controversial child rape trial over the meaning of snippa, a child's word for the female genitalia, after the original verdict – which caused a scandal in Sweden – was thrown out by the Supreme Court.
Despite agreeing with the district court, at the time of the original appeal trial, that the man had touched the girl and inserted his finger into the girl's snippa, the appeals court found that it could not be determined whether she was referring to her vulva or to her vagina.
If the man had inserted his finger into her vagina, that would have met the standard to be classified as rape. But because the girl said that his finger was “far in”, but could not state exactly how far, the appeals court found that it could not establish beyond doubt that the man had inserted his finger in her vagina and not her vulva. It therefore threw out the verdict and cleared the man of the charge.
However, the Supreme Court, the top court in the country, then ruled that the appeals court had committed a miscarriage of justice in not considering a lower-grade charge such as sexual abuse or molestation, which it is possible the incident could have been classified as, despite the prosecutor not putting forward such a charge. It therefore sent the case back to the appeals court for retrial.
Swedish vocabulary: a verdict – en dom
Hungary's new president signs Sweden's Nato approval
Hungary's new president, Tamás Sulyok, signed his country's approval for Sweden's accession to Nato on Tuesday afternoon, two days after it was signed by the speaker of the Hungarian parliament and eight after the parliament voted in favour of Sweden joining.
The signed protocol will now be flown to Washington, after which Nato's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, will invite Sweden to submit its accession documents to the US.
Sweden's government then needs to formally accept the Swedish parliament's vote in favour of joining in May 2023, after which the country's foreign minister, Tobias Billström, will fly to Washington along with Sweden's documents.
Swedish vocabulary: to sign – att skriva under/på
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'Miracle' no one injured in Farsta Strand explosion
Police had on Wednesday morning due to the risk of collapse not yet been able to let forensic teams into an apartment building in Farsta Strand, south of Stockholm, where a powerful explosion on the fourth floor forced residents to evacuate late on Tuesday evening.
The explosion happened in the stairs of the building at around 9.30pm and caused significant damage to the facade.
A dozen people were taken to hospital to be checked over, but no obvious injuries were reported.
"It's a miracle no one was injured," police spokesperson Daniel Wikdahl told the TT newswire.
Aftonbladet reports that a 14-year-old boy is being held in connection with the explosion, but police declined to confirm when asked.
It's the second explosion in the area, and third in Stockholm, in less than 24 hours. Seven people received minor injuries in two separate blasts in Fagersjö, close to Farsta Strand, and Lidingö in north-eastern Stockholm on Monday evening. Swedish public broadcaster SVT was one of several media outlets that reported that two men with connections to the Foxtrot gang are registered as living at the addresses.
Wikdahl confirmed that police were investigating whether or not the three incidents are linked.
Swedish vocabulary: a miracle – ett under
Double explosions in Gothenburg in early hours of Wednesday
Two explosions were reported in Västra Frölunda in Gothenburg in the early hours of Wednesday, just a couple of minutes apart.
Police and emergency services were called out to the blasts at two separate apartment buildings at around 1.30am, and found that something had exploded outside the main front doors, reports TT.
One resident received minor cut injuries, but otherwise no injuries were reported and the buildings did not have to be evacuated.
Police are investigating whether the two incidents are linked.
No suspects were being held at the time of publication, at around 6am on Wednesday.
Swedish vocabulary: Wednesday – onsdag
Verdict to be pronounced in snippa retrial
An appeals court is soon set to pronounce its new verdict in a controversial child rape trial over the meaning of snippa, a child's word for the female genitalia, after the original verdict – which caused a scandal in Sweden – was thrown out by the Supreme Court.
Despite agreeing with the district court, at the time of the original appeal trial, that the man had touched the girl and inserted his finger into the girl's snippa, the appeals court found that it could not be determined whether she was referring to her vulva or to her vagina.
If the man had inserted his finger into her vagina, that would have met the standard to be classified as rape. But because the girl said that his finger was “far in”, but could not state exactly how far, the appeals court found that it could not establish beyond doubt that the man had inserted his finger in her vagina and not her vulva. It therefore threw out the verdict and cleared the man of the charge.
However, the Supreme Court, the top court in the country, then ruled that the appeals court had committed a miscarriage of justice in not considering a lower-grade charge such as sexual abuse or molestation, which it is possible the incident could have been classified as, despite the prosecutor not putting forward such a charge. It therefore sent the case back to the appeals court for retrial.
Swedish vocabulary: a verdict – en dom
Hungary's new president signs Sweden's Nato approval
Hungary's new president, Tamás Sulyok, signed his country's approval for Sweden's accession to Nato on Tuesday afternoon, two days after it was signed by the speaker of the Hungarian parliament and eight after the parliament voted in favour of Sweden joining.
The signed protocol will now be flown to Washington, after which Nato's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, will invite Sweden to submit its accession documents to the US.
Sweden's government then needs to formally accept the Swedish parliament's vote in favour of joining in May 2023, after which the country's foreign minister, Tobias Billström, will fly to Washington along with Sweden's documents.
Swedish vocabulary: to sign – att skriva under/på
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