Two players in Helsingborgs IF were arrested last fall on suspicion of sexual crimes, which TV4 Nyheterna revealed.
The suspicions against one of them were dropped, while the other was detained and later charged with rape. The plaintiff is a teenage girl and the crime must have taken place at the end of May this year.
After TV4 Nyheterna’s reporting on the case, Helsingborgs IF chose to suspend the player. A few days after the arrest, the club broke the agreement with the man.
Today at 2 p.m. the district court announced its verdict. The Allsvenskan player was sentenced to two years in prison.
According to the verdict, he must have invited the teenage girl home for a party. When she fell asleep, he performed sexual acts against her, which the district court determines is comparable to rape. The minor woke up and stopped the abuse before seeking help. When she spoke to a school nurse after the summer, a police report was made.
– The district court’s assessment is that there is a reasonable explanation for the fact that she only reported the incident later and that it does not detract from the value of her information, says councilor Therese Larsson Dozet in a press release.
The player must also be expelled with a ban on returning for ten years. In addition, the man must pay damages of SEK 215,000 to the girl.
The investigation shows that the former HIF player made contact with the victim via social media. He allegedly gave her match tickets and loaned her his apartment.
The footballer has denied wrongdoing.
In the clip above: More about the rape case