Suspected rape after Stockholm unlicensed taxi journey

Police were alerted at 4am on Saturday morning to a location in Barkaby, in the Järfälla municipality northwest of Stockholm. 

 

The two women said that they had taken an unregistered taxi from a restaurant in northern Stockholm, but the driver and another man took them to a field in Järfälla where the suspected crime took place.

 

"They were driven to another destination than the one they requested. They were then subjected to a serious sexual assault. This is the scenario we are currently working with. One person has been arrested and released after questioning, but remains relevant to the investigation," Carina Skagerlind, press officer with Stockholm Police, told news agency TT.

 

The women were taken from the scene directly to hospital.

 

"Being subject to something like this obviously does not leave you feeling well. They were taken to hospital in order that the necessary checks in cases such as these be carried out," said Skagerlind.

 

Police kept an area behind an Ikea warehouse in Barkaby cordoned off until 3pm on Saturday in order to carry out forensic tests, and the investigation is ongoing.

 

"We are asking for potential witnesses to get in touch. If you have saw anyone in the area, please contact us. We will talk to witness and are looking for any footage from security cameras in the area as well as trails," Skagerlind said.

 

The location of the suspected rapes is a few kilometres from an illuminated path in the Veddesta neighbourhood where a girl reported a suspected rape two weeks ago. Four days later, another woman reported an attempted rape in a nearby location.

 

"This case is not like the others. These women came from a place other than Barkaby. I do not want to speculate, but we cannot rule out a connection. We will look at this case individually but will also take potential connections into account," said Skagerlind.