Four students at the private school Lundsberg are convicted of assault and gross breach of domestic peace.
The district court believes that they have acted together and had a revenge plan.
– It is not in society’s interest to protect violent traditions and customs at school, says councilor Carolina Andersson.
But the defense lawyers are critical.
The private school Lundsberg has a tradition of “pranks” which, among other things, means that students say hello in each other’s rooms at night.
In January, two different events degenerated at the school’s boarding school. First, students performed grossly racist rap lyrics. A day later, the rapping students were attacked in their rooms by older students. The older students were masked and fought with belts, according to the testimonies.
Five young men, aged 17 and 18, were charged with assault and serious breach of domestic peace after what happened.
Now comes the verdict.
Four of the five students are convicted of the crimes. They are sentenced to community service.
Värmland District Court writes in a statement that four of the students “have carried out the crimes together and in agreement and had a common plan for how they would take revenge on the ninth graders”.
The ninth-graders who testify about the nighttime attacks are credible, according to the court. In some cases, they have changed information between the police interrogation and the court, which they explained by saying that they “don’t want to be a snitch”, a reasonable explanation, according to the district court.
“When several people carry out different parts of a criminal plan, it is usually said that they act together and in agreement. Such an agreement does not have to be explicit, but can also be silent,” writes the Värmland district court in the judgment.
Photo: FREDRIK KARLSSON
Judge: Not protecting violent traditions
One of the students is also convicted of another assault, which was filmed.
All five defendants denied wrongdoing.
During the hearing, the students testified about violent traditions. Nocturnal intrusions count as “pranks”. Lawyers for the accused students have argued that the school’s culture plays a role in what happened.
Both the victims and the accused students have also told of a point system that allowed elders to give younger students orders, which had to be followed. Anyone who refuses will be ostracized, according to the students’ consensus view.
But the Värmland district court does not consider that Lundsberg’s traditions play any role.
– In order to acquit on the basis that the defense claims, it is required that there is a societal interest that the act should be permitted. It is not in society’s interest to protect violent traditions and customs at school. The district court also does not consider that the students should go free due to liberating rules about consent, says judge Carolina Andersson in a statement.
The fifth student is acquitted because it is not proven that he participated in the assault.
The four who are sentenced are critical of the verdict.
– We believe that the district court made an incorrect assessment and we will appeal, says one of the boys’ lawyers, Rebecka Lewis.
