The 20 year-old suspect is seen posing with a handgun during the broadcast Three men have been arrested in Sweden on suspicion of gang-raping a woman, after one allegedly live-streamed the crime on a closed Facebook page. The men aged 19, 20 and 24 are seen raping an unconcious 31-year-old victim and live-streaming their actions with one of the suspects brandishing a handgun during the ordeal.
Three men have been arrested reasonably suspected of aggravated rape.
He pulled off her clothes and lay on top of her, says 21-year-old Josefine Lundgren from Ange, who called police when she saw the live broadcast.
According to Sweden’s Aftonbladet tabloid, the alleged crime took place in an apartment in the city of Uppsala early on Sunday morning. The victim was reportedly close to unconscious.
The third suspect with his face blurred is an 18-year-old
According to witness statements to SVT News Uppsala, the alleged perpetrators streamed the live broadcast twice . In the first feed which was streamed to a closed audience with over 60,000 viewers, one of the men stripped the woman and raped her on a bed.
The second broadcast shows the men shoving the camera in the victim’s face, but this time trying to coerce her to deny that she had been raped.
According to 21-year-old Josefine Lundgren who watched the event ‘He put words in her mouth,’ Lundren said. ‘He was very derisive and laughed throughout the movie.’
Lundgren alerted the police at 8.24am on Sunday morning as soon as she realised what was happening on the closed group, of which she is one of 60,000 members.
In an interview with Expressen, Lundgren expressed her sympathy for the victim: “He tore off her clothes and lay down on top of her,” the 21-year-old witness said.
“You have been raped,” one of the men said to the woman at the end of the broadcast before laughing.
“Three against one, ha ha ha,” one of the members of the closed group then commented under the feed, Lundgren told the paper.
“Three against one, ha ha ha,” one of the members of the closed group then commented under the feed, Lundgren told the paper.
According to Sweden’s state broadcaster SVT, the men then made a second live broadcast in which the victim was coerced to deny that she had not been raped. The second broadcast was streaming when police arrived in the apartment, arrested those present, and turned off the camera.
Caught in the act: A policeman stepped in to interrupt the second bradcast.All three men were subsequently arrested
Marcus Svensson from the Uppsala police on Sunday afternoon confirmed that police had obtained a copy of at least one of the broadcasts, adding that there were also large numbers of witnesses.
“There are quite a few people who have got in touch who saw the broadcast,” he told SVT. The victim, he added, had been taken to hospital both for her own safety and to collect evidence.
“My heart broke,” Linda Johansson, who saw the second of the broadcasts, told SVT. “The girl was sitting in front of the camera while the guy who filmed her tried to make her deny that she had been raped.
“He was putting the words in her mouth. He was extremely threatening and laughed throughout the film.”
One of the suspects, a 24-year-old male, has prior convictions for violent assault and drug offenses
Another witness Loviisa, 22, who watched the live feed in Stockholm told the paper – ‘Two guys pushing down a girl on the bed and raping her. I see that she is semi-conscious. I first thought it was a poorly orchestrated joke, but it was not,’ says Loviisa: “The first thing you think is ‘how can you do such a thing to a girl? And how can you do it live when you know that you are going to go there?’” another said. “I think of course it is screwed, totally sick.”
According to Expressen, the eldest of the men has previous convictions for drugs and violent assault.
The prosecutor in the case, Pontus Melander, is yet to finalize the charges for the suspects. So far, one of the men is regarded as the prime suspect and is expected to face stiffer charges with probable cause. The other two are being considered as accomplices.
The prosecutor in the case, Pontus Melander, is yet to finalize the charges for the suspects. So far, one of the men is regarded as the prime suspect and is expected to face stiffer charges with probable cause. The other two are being considered as accomplices.
Commenting on the investigation and the possible nature of the charges to be brought against the suspects, Deputy chief prosecutor Magnus Berggren said – ‘It depends on what is said in the hearings being held. It will be put together and see what image you get. [I] can not say if the evidence is strong enough for a conviction without the video footage’, he said.He also confirm that the woman who should have been subjected to the assault was confirmed that the victim was a trial l lawyer. ‘I can not comment on how she is feeling, but you can just imagine. She gets support and help,’ Berggren said.
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