Five people are suspected of offences against younger pupils at Sweden’s Sigtuna boarding school, including aggravated sexual harassment, assault and unlawful coercion. The allegations have prompted a criminal investigation and a separate review of student safety at one of the country’s most prominent boarding schools.
Sigtunaskolan Humanistiska Läroverket (SSHL), in Sigtuna north of Stockholm, has longstanding ties to Sweden’s establishment. Its former pupils include King Carl XVI Gustaf and former Prime Minister Olof Palme, as Danish broadcaster TV 2 reports.
Five suspects and eight complainants
Police carried out an operation at the school on 8 October, initially detaining three young male students. Three suspects were subsequently remanded in custody. Two more people were detained on 15 October and released after questioning the following day, but remain under investigation. The three students held in custody have denied committing crimes, according to Swedish public broadcaster SVT.
Two of those held face suspicions including aggravated sexual harassment, aggravated assault and aggravated unlawful coercion. The third is suspected of assault and unlawful coercion. By 20 October, investigators had identified eight complainants, with suspected offences extending beyond the initial incidents in early October. The investigation also includes allegations of unlawful threats and serious unlawful intrusion into private accommodation, SVT reported. These are allegations, not findings of guilt.
Investigators examine a student-run punishment system
The inquiry has raised questions about an informal hierarchy among boarding-school pupils. Prosecutor Lisa dos Santos has said that investigators seized hidden notebooks referring to positions such as ‘prefect’ and ‘punishment officer’. According to Sveriges Radio, prosecutors believe the documents support the existence of a structure in which older pupils could exercise authority over younger ones.
Dos Santos has also said that the suspected misconduct appeared to be part of a continuing system of punishments, rather than simply an initiation ritual at the start of term. Former pupil and writer Agnes Hellström, who attended in the 1990s, told Sveriges Radio that she recognised a pattern in which students first experienced such practices and later passed them on to younger pupils. Her account concerns her own time at the school and does not establish the current criminal allegations.
The school rejects allegations of a culture of violence
The school says it reported the incidents to police and has worked for years to eliminate informal hierarchies and abusive practices. Its chief executive and school director, Sofia Kinberg, rejected the description of a violent institutional culture in an interview with Svenska Dagbladet:
There is absolutely no culture of violence at the school.
This is not the first criminal case involving the institution. In 2013, five former pupils were convicted of assaulting a younger student after incidents in 2011 and 2012. The convictions were subsequently upheld on appeal.
School inspectors open a separate review
On 20 October, the Swedish Schools Inspectorate (Skolinspektionen) announced a new inspection of the foundation running the school. The regulator will examine how it protects pupils from harassment and ensures their safety. It stressed that the foundation remains responsible for safeguarding students while the police investigate the suspected crimes.
The criminal case is also expected to take longer. On Monday 26 October, Dos Santos told local newspaper Mitt i that she would seek more time for the investigation rather than meet the 27 October deadline for bringing charges. The request for an extension was expected to be submitted on Tuesday. Neither the criminal investigation nor the inspectorate’s review has reached a final conclusion.
