At half past three one early November morning, 66-year-old Malou suddenly woke up to a text message from the police.
– Then it said ‘Hello, we have just searched your neighbor’s house but thought your window belonged to the neighbor’s apartment. Therefore, that window is destroyed. We have closed as best we can. Contact the police in Solna and you will get help with compensation for it. Sorry for the trouble,’ she says.
– I panicked. Panic!
The police task force had thrown in a distraction grenade, which gives off pressure, light and sound in her apartment.
Shards of glass in the bed
Malou had just moved into her second home north of Stockholm – but when she received the message from the police, she was 50 miles from her apartment.
Pure luck, according to her.
– What would have happened to me if I and my dog had been at home? I have thought about that many times. I was probably in shock. I could also have been physically injured, there were shards of glass in my bed when I got home.
Back home several days later, she was greeted by the chaos that had not been cleaned up by the police.
– The strange thing is that in their text message at night they didn’t say anything about everything they destroyed in my apartment or the grenade, but just let it be, says Malou.
Forced to sleep on the couch
In addition to the broken window, she has suffered major damage in the bedroom. Among other things, she was forced to throw out two carpets, replace several private items and clean up the kitchen where books had been torn down.
– I mean, I’ve lived for 66 years and I’ve never experienced anything like this in my entire life. That you sort of throw in a smoke bomb. Maybe you should double check who you throw it in.
– It has happened that the police have entered the wrong apartment, but that is unusual, writes police press secretary Rebecca Landberg to TV4 news.
But it is not only material damage that she has been involved in. At first, the 66-year-old was forced to sleep on the couch because of the injuries.
– When I had the wooden shutter in front of the window, it also felt very, very uncomfortable and you listened to sounds and such all the time. Now it’s a little calmer, but there’s this thing that happened in my head all the time.
Receives SEK 9,800 in damages
Despite the fact that the police entered the wrong apartment, it was Malou herself who contacted the police for further information and to demand compensation.
– The police made a mistake and told the woman that it is possible to fill in a compensation form and send it to the police. The police lawyer was able to establish that the police made a mistake and paid out damages, writes Rebecca Landberg.
After two months, Malou received the amount she had requested – SEK 9,800, which covers the material damages.
– In retrospect, I would have demanded more for the rent. I haven’t been able to sleep in my bedroom for the first time. Also a little more for burning and aches and things like that, says Malou.
The police state that they have not received any documentation of the damages, but have given the compensation that the woman has stated in her claim for damages.
Tried to move
In addition to the damage to the apartment, since the incident, Malou has also felt a strong discomfort for the neighbor who the police were actually looking for. She has tried to move within her area but there has been no available apartment.