Swedish foreign minister stabbed by knife

[Kitschum]

Originally posted by Winston
Just referring what I read in the paper last Saturday. The number of 900 murder cases drew only minor objections from two quoted Swedish criminologists. Plus it has to be worth something for Interpol to publish it in their official country comparison.

It's not worth an iota, see my source above.

The fact remains that Sweden has by far the highest murder rate per capita of any Nordic country.

That might be (although I don't think so), but it doesn't remain from what's been provided in this thread so far.

The notion that Sweden is an immensely peaceful and harmonic society is false.

Yes it is.

[Rasbelin]

Göran Perssons tal är nog rätt så berörande...

[Kitschum]

This seems to be the latest on the hunt for the assassin: (in Swedish only)

http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/nyheter/story/0,2789,359673,00.html

http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/nyheter/story/0,2789,359570,00.html

It says that police are looking for a known violent criminal in the Stockholm area. This after a tip that came in short after the murder took place. Hopefully it's him and hopefully he's in police hands soon. The description they've been working with all along is of a 6 ft tall man, "weathered" face, overweight, with several layers of clothes on. He looked "Swedish" with fair skin, thin face and medium-length dark brown hair. He had on a blue cap, a green camouflage jacket and underneath it a thin gray jacket (munkjacka - what's the right word?).

[Kitschum]

Originally posted by Asuka
Göran Perssons tal är nog rätt så berörande...

Ja. Hela dagen har varit nedstämd och känts tom och det har varit svårt att inte gråta. I really don't know what else to say. It feels unreal.

[Rasbelin]

T.S. Sorry for my little outburst in Swedish.

Despite I'm a Finn, I have to say it's a chocking news. I'm thinking back in time and trying to find a similar event in Finnish history, but I think it has to go back to the murder of general governor Bobrikov by Eugene Schaumann in 1904, if speaking of direct political assasinations. More recent cases directed towards authority would include the murder (hmm... or was it "just" manslaughter) of two policemen in Helsinki several years back by the Dane (Danish citizen, so he was sentenced to prison, where he would first be held in Finland and then in Denmark) Steve Christiansen. Hmm. Can't now in the middle of the night remember any other incidents for some reason.

[Rasbelin]

Sleepy me was supposed to say Steen Christensen. Sorry for my little slip of tongue.

[molly bloom]

I think at least Sweden can take comfort from the fact that so few of its politicians and monarchs have been murdered. Karl XII, Gustavus III, Palme, now Lindh. Not a great many in the modern era, especially given the way that Sweden's politicians moved through society.
British politicians of the same status could not move about as freely, neither could the monarch.

Didn't the Danish queen also ride her bicycle to work?

That's what I think puts the 'civil' in civilization- even if you don't agree with constitutional monarchies, or the Scandinavian governments, they are what the French would call 'bien civilises'.

I would hope that her killer is deranged- small comfort, I know, but at least it would be a sign that the political culture in Sweden isn't taking a turn for the worse.

The Swedes (and the Swedish posters here) have my
sympathy.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by molly bloom
I think at least Sweden can take comfort from the fact that so few of its politicians and monarchs have been murdered...Gustavus III

And at least that one gave us a spiffy opera.

[St Leo]

The AP Article brought a literal tear to my eyes.

Originally posted by Q Cubed
say a prayer for her kids.

Have your run out of 9/11 threads to troll in?

Please don't use the imperative when saying things like that. Magic words were invented for a reason.

[Chemical Ollie]

The police is looking for a street junkie with mental disorders. Another Christer Pettersson...

There has been a discussion about the state of mental healthcare in Sweden recently. With drastic cuts in fundings, numerous nutcases are now out on the streets and we have seen them murdering several people this year. One guy raced his car down the pedestrian street in Stockholm old town, killing two and wounding several more, while another nut went berzerk with an iron rod on seven people, of which one died. And now we have two brutal knife stabbings within 20 hours, one killing a 5 year old girl and another killing Sweden's most admired politician. Lock those freaks up!

[Dinner]

BBC is reporting that the Swedish police have the name of the murderer.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3102354.stm

[Dinner]

The suspect is in his 30s, has long dark hair and is said to be psychologically disturbed.

Does anyone know if the suspect is Swedish or a foreigner?

[Chemical Ollie]

Originally posted by Oerdin
BBC is reporting that the Swedish police have the name of the murderer.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3102354.stm

They have found and interogated him, but concluded he was innocent and let him go.

[The Mad Monk]

Originally posted by St Leo


Have your run out of 9/11 threads to troll in?

Please don't use the imperative when saying things like that. Magic words were invented for a reason.

What are you talking about?

[Rasbelin]

There's a press conference in 20 minutes time, which might give us some clues. Also streamed live on the SVT website.