Advertising with Peter Mangs causes discomfort: Shocked and disgusted

For several years, the serial killer Peter Mang spread terror in Malmö. Now his face adorns posters around the city, causing people to react.

– It is a fresh wound for many Malmö residents, says author Nicolas Lunabba.

Peter Mangs terrorized Malmö for several years before he was arrested in November 2010. He was sentenced by the Court of Appeal to life imprisonment for two murders and eight attempted murders.

Now many Malmö residents are reminded of the serial killer on the open street, in the form of posters that were put up for a new documentary film about Mangs that is shown on Viaplay.

“Needs to see her perpetrator”

One person who reacted strongly is Nicolas Lunabba, writer and operations manager at the youth organization Helamalmö.

– I was shocked and pissed off, he says in Efter fem, and continues:

– I thought of a friend who was shot when he was a child with five shots by Peter Mangs. Now he moves around the city and needs to see his perpetrator. Mang’s intention was to spread terror among the town’s non-white population. Now we are once again forced to meet his gaze, says Nicolas Lunabba.

Lunabba believes that it is problematic to decorate Malmö with posters so close to the crime.

– It’s a big picture of him with his piercing, sneer killer look. We must remember that Peter Mangs was a terrorist active in the near future. It is a fresh wound for many Malmö residents, he says.

Viaplay responds

Viaplay believes that they have not acted with the intention of causing offense to Malmö residents. But there are no plans to take down the posters either.

“We have no intention of causing offence. We apologize if anyone has been offended. This is a documentary about Peter Mangs – that’s why he is the one seen in the pictures. We are not trying to glorify him or his deeds,” says Susanne Nylén, press manager at Viaplay, in a written comment.