Samnytt was on site today outside Stockholm District Court ahead of the trial faced by Jonatan Alfvén, after being charged with several cases of aggravated defamation for warning about dangerous pedophiles and rapists on social media. During the ongoing demonstration, Alfvén and Dumpen’s Sara Nilsson gave speeches about how current defamation laws target those protecting children from offenders. The Sweden Democrats (SD) also issued a sharp demand to the government: pardon everyone convicted of defamation for warning about dangerous pedophiles and sex offenders.
Today, August 19 at 08:00, around a hundred people gathered outside Stockholm District Court to make their voices heard ahead of the trial to be held today against child rights activist Jonatan Alfvén.
Alfvén is charged with a total of four cases of aggravated defamation after posting on social media warning about dangerous pedophiles and rapists. Among other things, this has involved a mother who, together with her boyfriend, drugged and raped her two children.
The youngest son was only 14 months old when it all began.
Another case concerns a man who dragged a nine-year-old girl into his home, strapped her down with tie-downs, and brandished three knives. She was to be placed naked in a box and delivered to the customer who paid the most. He has since been convicted again—this time for assaulting and raping a 13-year-old girl.
It is pedophiles and sex offenders like these who are now plaintiffs in the case that the state is pursuing against Alfvén, with Prosecutor Gustav Andersson. Normally, defamation is a civil matter, where the person who feels wronged must file a lawsuit against the suspect themselves.
But in this case, the Prosecutor’s Office has chosen to indict Alfvén—directly financed by Swedish taxpayers.
Alfvén: “We demand new defamation legislation in Sweden!”
Jonatan Alfvén opened the demonstration by talking about the pedophiles and sex offenders whom he is now accused of offending. Several times during his speech, he received standing ovations from the engaged crowd.
He also mentioned that he, together with Dumpen’s Sara Nilsson, is looking into the possibility of holding a demonstration before the election—with a focus on children’s safety.
Nilsson recounted that Dumpen had recently caught another “pike” at Stockholm Central Station. Regarding Alfvén’s indictment, she said the following:
– Somewhere, I think it’s more controversial to confront him about what he wants to do to children—than what he in fact wants to do to children, she said, continuing:
– That he can just go free, wander around, and keep looking for children—that should be the controversial issue here.
Alfvén then concluded with a simple and clear exhortation to Swedish politicians.
– We demand new defamation legislation in Sweden!
READ MORE: Dagerlind: How do you take away the honor of someone who has none?
Åkesson (SD): “Ruthless crimes against children”
Around 08:30, Sweden Democrats’ Jimmie Åkesson and Henrik Vinge climbed onto the flatbed of an SD-branded pickup truck. Åkesson opened by expressing his pleasure at the large crowd gathered outside the court.
– It’s very promising that so many people care about something like this.
He then recounted some of the horrific cases Alfvén had reported on his social media, and the pedophiles behind them.
– Convicted dangerous people. People who have committed ruthless crimes against children, so ruthless that it’s difficult to imagine the details.
Vinge (SD): “They should be pardoned”
Soon after, Henrik Vinge spoke. He noted that people who warned about pedophiles have not only been sentenced— they have also been forced to pay significant damages to the pedophiles.
– It is so offensive to our shared sense of justice and damages confidence in the rule of law when these kinds of verdicts are handed down. We cannot accept that.
He concluded with a sharp demand to the government:
– All of those people who warned about pedophiles, dangerous criminals, those who did so to protect children, to help parents keep their children safe—they should be pardoned.
Pardon
What is it?
A pardon means a convicted person’s sentence is completely or partially waived or commuted. The conviction itself remains.
Who decides?
It is the government that decides on pardons.
How does it work?
The convicted person can apply to the government. The government reviews the case and makes a decision. The decision cannot be appealed.
Legal basis: Chapter 12, Section 9 of the Swedish Constitution.
Vinge (SD) to Samnytt: “Should be praised”
After the Sweden Democrats’ press briefing, we met with Henrik Vinge (SD) to discuss the new proposal in more detail.
You have put forward the idea to pardon everyone convicted for warning about dangerous pedophiles—why?
– Because what’s happening here today is so shocking. Jonatan Alfvén, who warned about some of the most ruthless pedophiles, may be convicted of a crime, and may also be ordered to pay significant damages to these pedophiles.
– It is so outrageous—I think everyone who sees this understands that we cannot have a legal system that results in the person warning about pedophiles, the one trying to protect children, being convicted, while the pedophile receives a lot of money.
Have you brought the other Tidö parties (government coalition) on board with this proposal?
– We’ll see how it ends. This is a Sweden Democrats’ proposal that we put forward today, but my feeling is that we’ll get broad support for it, my feeling is that people agree, he said, continuing:
– It is not reasonable to convict people who warn about pedophiles and make them pay money to pedophiles. I think the prospects are good for carrying this out.
Should women be allowed to warn other women about dangerous men?
– Yes, we believe so. It’s actually broader than just pedophiles, but it becomes so clear, so extreme, in these particular child abuse cases. Because it is such a reprehensible, ruthless crime, and the damages become so large, he said, continuing:
– The pedophiles have been “offended.” No reasonable person perceives the pedophile’s offense as worse than the violation suffered by the child. Those who warn and try to protect children are doing an important service and should be praised—not blamed.
Should it be illegal to tell the truth in Sweden if enough people hear it?
– We want to review the entire defamation law because it goes wrong in so many ways, and hits people who haven’t actually done anything that should be criminal.
– In this particular case, we’re talking about serious crimes; warning about pedophiles and other types of dangerous criminals. We think it’s outrageous that it’s illegal. That’s why we want to revise all of the defamation laws, Henrik Vinge (SD) concludes.
Dumpen on SD’s proposal: “Absolutely fantastic”
Before the trial began, we at the newspaper also had the chance to speak with Sara Nilsson and Patrik Sjöberg, who together run Dumpen.se. They felt that the indictment against Alfvén was completely unacceptable.
What do you generally say about this prosecution?
– It’s terrible to become the offenders’ offender, it’s utterly backward. We need to change the law, Nilsson said.
– At Dumpen, we’re in the same boat. We work on children’s rights issues and suddenly we’re the criminals—something is really messed up then, Sjöberg continued.
What do you think of the Sweden Democrats’ proposal to pardon those convicted of warning about dangerous sex offenders and pedophiles?
– It would be absolutely fantastic if it could be carried out, but first of all: change the law so children are encouraged to speak out when they are victimized—not stay silent, Nilsson replied.
Watch the full video clip from the demonstration with interviews with both Vinge (SD) and Dumpen here: