Three Afghan men have been detained on suspicion of rape, assault, and the unlawful detention of a woman in her 20s in Sweden following a reported attack during the night of Dec. 28.
The attack is alleged to have taken place at an apartment in the southern city of Kristianstad.
The suspects, aged 18, 19, and 23, were arrested in the early hours of Dec. 29 and detained on probable cause after court proceedings in Kristianstad district court on Monday.
Expressen reported that the crimes allegedly occurred in a private residence where the woman was subjected to the reported offenses. Police say the suspects were known to each other, but their relationship to the victim remains unclear.
“Those arrested are familiar with each other. I know nothing about the relationship between them and the woman,” Anja Steiber, press spokesperson for the public prosecutor’s office told the Swedish news outlet.
All three suspects are residents of Kristianstad municipality. Two of the suspects have prior criminal records: The 19-year-old has been previously sentenced to youth service for assault and youth care for minor drug offenses, while the 23-year-old has faced fines for minor drug offenses and a suspended sentence for assault and vandalism.
The Riks news outlet reported the trio as being Afghan nationals and published a photo of one of the alleged perpetrators.
Prosecutors have imposed restrictions on the men while the investigation continues, including further interrogations.
Authorities are working to determine the suspects’ relationship with the victim and gather more evidence.
The public prosecutor’s office confirmed that interrogations are ongoing but declined to provide further details about the case.
