Tove, who was 21 years old, went missing in October after a night out in Vetlanda. Hundreds of volunteers assisted in the search for her and she was discovered dead in a wooded area outside the city in early November. Two women, aged 18 and 20, who knew Tove were charged with murder and grave breach of peace on Friday. The prosecutor claims that the two women jointly took Tove’s life through suffocation, with the 20-year-old strangling her and the 18-year-old helping to hold her down. They then transported her body to the forest area and attempted to burn it. Criminologist Leif GW Persson questions whether the prosecution will hold up and suggests that both defendants might not be convicted of murder as they have different levels of involvement in the crime. The trial is scheduled for March 27, 29, 30, and 31.
Tove, 21, disappeared in October after a night out in Vetlanda. Hundreds of volunteers became involved in the search for her and in early November she was found dead in a wooded area outside the city.
On Friday, two women who were familiar with her, aged 18 and 20, were charged with murder and grave breach of peace.
According to the prosecutor, the investigation has shown that the duo “jointly and in agreement” took Tove’s life by suffocation. The 20-year-old strangled her, while the 18-year-old helped hold her down, according to the prosecutor.
Later, they transported her body to the forest area, where they tried to burn it.
But the criminologist Leif GW Persson doubts that the prosecution will last all the way.
– It’s not a case I would have brought. I had supplemented it with a lot of alternatives, he says in TV4’s Nyhetsmorgon.
He believes that their actions differ significantly, but that the prosecutor still goes “all in” and charges them on the same points.
– I would be surprised if both are convicted of murder. It is based on the fact that there is much evidence that they have different stakes in this.
It is when responsibility must be individualized that it can get tricky, he believes.
– The 20-year-old is far worse off than the 18-year-old, he says to TV4 Nyhetsmorgon.
Saturday 15 October: 21-year-old Tove is at a restaurant in central Vetlanda and leaves it at midnight.
Sunday 16 October: At 02 in the morning she calls her boyfriend and at 04 her phone is connected to a cell tower north of Vetlanda. Neighbors say they heard bangs from the apartment of one of the now-suspect women.
Monday 17 October: Two women, 18 and 20 years old, are taken in for questioning and then arrested on suspicion of kidnapping.
Thursday 20 October: Suspicions have been strengthened against the women, who are detained on probable grounds suspected of kidnapping.
Friday October 21: The regional special event and the major search effort for the 21-year-old ends.
Wednesday November 2: The police find Tove dead in a wooded area southeast of Vetlanda. Earlier the same day, the suspected women were re-arrested.
Monday 7 November: The classification of crimes is expanded to also include murder and breach of privacy. Later, the suspicions of kidnapping are dropped.
Friday March 17: Charges are brought against the two women for murder and grave breach of peace.
The trial is scheduled to be held on March 27, 29, 30 and 31.
(TT)
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