The Swedish girl doesn’t use the right word to describe her rape and her attacker is released

In cases of sexual assault against minors, doubt benefits the abuser again and again. In Sweden, a man convicted of raping a ten-year-old boy has just been acquitted on appeal. The crime is proven, but the word used by the girl would “confuse” the exact nature of the attacks. The events took place during the summer of 2021, in southern Sweden. The man, in his fifties, raped the girl twice on the premises of the local Salvation Army. In her deposition, the little girl minutely recounts her assassination attempt in her words of her age and describes the rape of her “zézette”.

Sentenced in the first instance to three years’ imprisonment and the equivalent of 12,600 euros in damages, the man – who denies the facts – has filed an appeal. During a second judgment handed down on Feb. 23, the judges this time questioned the terms used in the deposition. Second the worldwhich conveys the story, in Swedish, zezette he says to himself snipe and refers to all female genitalia and not just the vagina. The magistrates therefore considered that the testimony did not allow to conclude for a rape, that is to say a vaginal penetration. When in doubt, the attacker was released, although sexual assault was proven.

Clamor on social media and in the justice sector

During the trial, the minor’s lawyer specified that the police had taken steps to make the deposition as detailed as possible, also recalling that the deadline snipe commonly used in schools and kindergartens. However, this was not enough to convince four of the five judges. Coincidentally or not, these judges were all men in their 60s. For the only, younger magistrate, the testimony contained no ambiguity.

This event caused a stir in Sweden where, as elsewhere, sexual violence does not spare the little ones. According to the Swedish National Crime Prevention Council, it is estimated that more than 13,000 minors were victims of it in 2021. In this country famous for respecting the rights of the child, this questioning of this little girl’s word worries lawyers. Social networks denounce a legal scandal and the message #JagVetVadAnSnippaÄr (I know what a zézette is) launched by Caroline Svelid, a famous Swedish influencer has been re-shared hundreds of times.

The controversy also continues within the institute. ” Extremely surprised “, the prosecutor Eva-Lotta Swahn denounced this decision” strange and requested that the case be heard by the High Court of Justice.