Charges filed in captive woman case
Formal charges were filed on Monday against the 58-year-old man who is believed to have held his girlfriend captive for nine years in a small cabin outside of Eksjö in central Sweden.
Through her lawyer, the woman has requested that she not be called to testify in the trial, which is set to start later this week, Sveriges Television is reporting.
The woman, who weighed only 40 kilogrammes when she was admitted to hospital, continues to be in poor health and will be unable to travel to the courtroom.
Instead, a video recording of the woman’s interview with police will be submitted, according to her lawyer.
On Monday, the 58-year-old was formally charged with gross violation of a woman’s integrity, with an alternative charge of gross violation of integrity, as well as unlawful deprivation of liberty.
Earlier reports indicated that the man had kept the woman locked up and isolated for nine years during the time the couple lived together in the cabin.
But in the indictment, prosecutor Klas Lorefors limited the period of time in which the suspected crimes took place to September 2003 through August 2008.
Over a five year period, the man is thought to have abused his girlfriend on several occasions, kept her locked in the cabin, and abused her by throwing bottles and other objects at her, and hitting her with a crutch.
The man used crutches to aid his walking, due to a leg injury he suffered as a child.
The prosecutor has several witnesses prepared to testify that the 58-year-old man left the cabin while the woman remained locked inside with no way of get out herself because the door's handle was missing.
Witnesses also plan to testify that the woman was never seen outside by herself.
The prosecutor claims that the man is suspected of “inflicting suffering through repeated abuse of her integrity which was meant to seriously damage her ego”.
The man is also charged with abusing another woman.
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Through her lawyer, the woman has requested that she not be called to testify in the trial, which is set to start later this week, Sveriges Television is reporting.
The woman, who weighed only 40 kilogrammes when she was admitted to hospital, continues to be in poor health and will be unable to travel to the courtroom.
Instead, a video recording of the woman’s interview with police will be submitted, according to her lawyer.
On Monday, the 58-year-old was formally charged with gross violation of a woman’s integrity, with an alternative charge of gross violation of integrity, as well as unlawful deprivation of liberty.
Earlier reports indicated that the man had kept the woman locked up and isolated for nine years during the time the couple lived together in the cabin.
But in the indictment, prosecutor Klas Lorefors limited the period of time in which the suspected crimes took place to September 2003 through August 2008.
Over a five year period, the man is thought to have abused his girlfriend on several occasions, kept her locked in the cabin, and abused her by throwing bottles and other objects at her, and hitting her with a crutch.
The man used crutches to aid his walking, due to a leg injury he suffered as a child.
The prosecutor has several witnesses prepared to testify that the 58-year-old man left the cabin while the woman remained locked inside with no way of get out herself because the door's handle was missing.
Witnesses also plan to testify that the woman was never seen outside by herself.
The prosecutor claims that the man is suspected of “inflicting suffering through repeated abuse of her integrity which was meant to seriously damage her ego”.
The man is also charged with abusing another woman.
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