Man sentenced to forensic psychiatric care after fatal accident in Malmö

It was on the afternoon of May 22 this year that the 14-year-old girl crossed a pedestrian crossing on Södervärn, near the hospital area in Malmö. At the same time, a 39-year-old man came driving at high speed, ignored the motorists' red lights and hit the girl, who was injured so badly that she died. After the accident, he crashed into another car and caused a series crash in which a man was injured.

On Tuesday, the 39-year-old was sentenced for grossly causing the death of another, gross negligence in traffic and causing bodily harm, as well as threatening an official in five cases. A forensic psychiatric examination has concluded that the man suffered from a serious mental disorder both at the time of the incident and when he underwent the examination. He is therefore sentenced to forensic psychiatric care, and since the risk of relapse is deemed to be high, a special discharge examination is required in order for him to be released.

The man has a history of psychotic illness and has described that his condition worsened in the days before the fatal crash. He sought treatment several times and had entered the psychiatric unit, which is located near the accident site, three times on the day he hit the 14-year-old. At one point, he allegedly handed in his driver's license.

The 39-year-old man has admitted that he hit the girl but has claimed during the trial that due to the psychosis he could not control his actions and thus should be acquitted. But Marija Pejic, acting councilor at Malmö district court, believes that this does not absolve him of responsibility.

"Even if the man was in a psychotic state at the time of the acts, he was sufficiently aware of his actions and the great risks to the lives of others that it entailed," she writes in a comment.

The crimes for which the man is convicted - grossly causing the death of another, gross negligence in traffic, causing bodily harm and five cases of threatening an official - have, according to the Malmö district court, a penalty equivalent to approximately two years in prison.