A young woman is on trial on suspicion of being torpedoed in a gang war.
Like many others in this environment, she is indifferent to human life, says the police officer Jan Staaf, who is investigating the case.
It’s the first time a woman has been charged with being the shooter in a gang murder – but police believe it could become more common.
Behind thick glass walls in a security room in the Stockholm District Court, a 20-year-old woman wearing a green sweater sits drawing in a pad. She is on trial for murder and attempted murder in a gang war raging in Norrköping – a very unusual charge.
It is partly about a murder of a 17-year-old boy, partly about what the police consider to be an attempted murder, where she shot at an apartment door. During the interrogation, she should not have shown any remorse, according to Jan Staaf, who led the investigation of the crimes at the Norrköping Police.
“She, like many others in this environment, is indifferent to human life and has no thought of consequences”, he says.
The woman denies that she committed the murder, but admits that she shot at the apartment. However, the aim should not have been to harm anyone, but only to “frighten”.
During questioning, the woman has been very reserved. But during the trial she opens up more and on several occasions she cries while telling the story.
“I think this is incredibly difficult”, she says.
She is from Gävle but states that she was threatened and then took refuge in Norrköping. It does not appear why she has been threatened.
“People had looked up my sister’s address and her child’s name. So I needed to leave”, she says.
In Norrköping, she slept in an apartment owned by gang criminals. There, she allegedly received a lot of tramadol, a heroin-like substance. She should have had no guilt or other reason for carrying out the shooting at the apartment, but still felt pressured.
“As a girl among only boys, and very affected by drugs, then you don’t have much to say about”, she says.
The police have not been able to find out who is behind the orders.
“I will not mention names. I have a family out there, I’m scared”, she says during the trial.
The woman’s defense lawyer, Viktor Banke, wants her to be sentenced for aggravated unlawful threats instead of attempted murder.
“She has actively tried to avoid anyone getting hurt”, he says.
Viktor Banke believes that the evidence against the woman committing the murder is weak.
“The investigation does not show who shot and I think there is a lot in the investigation that points to the fact that it was not her”, he says.
Facts. The gang war in Norrköping
Last year a gang war raged between two local Norrköping gangs. One belonging to the area of Hageby and Navestad and the other in Marielund. The conflict has escalated over time.
The conflict has involved shooting at and into homes, explosions, kidnappings and murders.
As recently as April this year, a 16-year-old boy was shot to death in Navestad.
Source: The police.
