It is lunchtime on the 27th of March this year and three correctional officers at the prison in Karlstad have to serve food to a prisoner. In the past, the man has thrown stones at four police officers, so security is high, but they are still unprepared for the fact that as soon as the cell door is opened, he hurls a fistful of excrement, which hits correctional officer Kenneth Prottengeier in the eyes.
– I had to throw away the uniform. It ran in the eye for two days. It was terrible, but what was even worse was when the prosecutor dropped my police report, says Kenneth Prottengeier.
Lesser offenses are expunged
Since the arrested man was charged with violence against an officer for throwing stones at the police, the investigation into the poo attack was dropped according to the principle of absorption or consumption, as it is also called. That minor offenses are deleted when there are more serious ones. Another humiliation according to Kenneth, who thus could not seek compensation either.
– It is very offensive. Is it that they should be able to walk into a detention center and behave however they want just because they are already charged with a more serious crime? I do not think so. It must be added to the criminal record.
Until November this year, the Correctional Service has received over 2,000 reports of threats and violence against its staff, and according to the ST union, action is needed to stop the spiral of violence against their members.
– From the government’s side, there is a lot of talk about how to reduce crime in society. says Joachim Danielsson, who is chairman of the ST union within the Correctional Service. It is also about which signal we send back to society. That those who are to guarantee that this work is carried out in the best possible way must feel safe and secure in their employment.
What is required for you to feel that security?
– That the courts, the judiciary and the legislature really mark that this is not acceptable, he says.
The minister agrees
Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (M) agrees and points out that an investigation is currently underway to deal with this problem.
– We want to change the rules in several ways. A concrete example is that if we toughen the punishment for this type of violence and threatening behavior against public employees in the Correctional Service, it will not be possible to sort out these cases in the way that is possible today. We have initiated important processes around these issues and will receive proposals just after the turn of the year, says Gunnar Strömmer.