Employees testify to an alcohol-soaked company culture where the couple often led the conversation to sex. At one point, an employee had to choose to drink from one of three glasses. A glass contained port wine and on that glass the now convicted man placed a bundle of dollars equivalent to 11,000 kroner. Another glass contained tequila and under it was a white envelope which turned out to contain a salary increase of SEK 40,000. The third glass, which the employee chose, contained water.
On another occasion, the woman in the couple allegedly showed her private parts to a new employee in connection with a drinking game.
Rape at conference facility
A woman was new to the job when she underwent the internal training at a conference facility in Dalarna. Several of the company’s employees have testified that they experienced an urge to drink alcohol in connection with the stay. After a late dinner where seven or eight units of alcohol were allegedly pre-ordered for each person, the new employee was said to be so drunk that she needed help to keep her balance.
Under the pretense of having a meeting, the legal couple left and took the newly hired woman to their room where they performed oral sex on her. According to the Court of Appeal, the new employee was then in a particularly vulnerable situation and thus did not participate voluntarily in the sexual act.
Increases the penalty
The District Court in Falun sentenced the couple to one year and five months in prison for, among other things, negligent rape, but the Court of Appeal makes the assessment that the rape was not negligent and stiffens the punishment. The woman is sentenced to three years and six months in prison and the man to three years and nine months.