A nursing assistant has been convicted for three cases of aggravated theft of jewelry from elderly and sick patients, all over 80 years old, at Danderyd Hospital's emergency department in 2020, 2024, and 2025. The thefts were deemed aggravated due to the victims' vulnerable situation, as they were hospitalized due to illness, and the defendant's abuse of her trusted position as a hospital employee. The defendant was also convicted for theft from a special needs resident's home.
Additionally, the defendant was convicted for aggravated receiving of stolen goods, involving selling and pawning over 100 items of unknown origin, assumed to be stolen, worth over one million SEK. According to the indictment, the value of goods involved was approximately 1,050,000 kronor. The defendant partially admitted to the crimes, explaining her actions as funding a gambling addiction through selling stolen items.
However, the defendant claimed most pawned or sold items were her own from inheritance, purchases, and gifts—a claim not accepted by the district court. The defendant requested probation with treatment for gambling addiction, but the court found the proposed treatment plan insufficient to replace imprisonment given the crimes' severity. The court sentenced the defendant to two years in prison.
The two-year prison sentence reflects the systematic nature of the crimes, the victims' vulnerability, and the scale of selling and pawning assumed stolen items with unidentifiable owners. The court noted that while the gambling addiction may have motivated the crimes, it did not affect the liability or penalty assessment. In unrelated incidents, a Swedish Coast Guard vessel collided with an Eckerö Line ferry and then hit a pier in Grisslehamn, with no injuries reported.
The Coast Guard's press chief, Mattias Lindholm, stated an investigation is needed. Separately, a Russian gas tanker sank in the Mediterranean after explosions and fire, with the crew of 30 rescued alive. The ship was under sanctions and sailed under the Russian flag.
Russian authorities accuse Ukraine of attacking the ship with unmanned vessels from Libya's coast, describing it as serious crimes, while Libyan authorities reported the ship made a distress call after sudden explosions. The case highlights vulnerabilities in healthcare settings and ongoing legal scrutiny of such offenses. Authorities emphasize the need for stricter oversight to prevent similar abuses of trust.
The defendant's sentence serves as a deterrent, with legal experts noting the importance of addressing underlying issues like addiction in sentencing considerations.