Sweden is moving towards a new dark record in terms of fatal shootings.

In August 2022, 45 people had been shot to death, a figure that is on the same level as the entire last year's shooting deaths.

In the early 1990s, 80 percent of fatal shootings in criminal environments were solved, that is, someone was convicted.

That figure has today dropped to around 25 percent.

See the report: 

"Where murderers go free"

- SVT Play

- There are many problems that we have so few convictions in these cases.

When they commit crimes like this and get away with it, they increase their violent capital and have a greater opportunity to spread terror where they live, says Johan Segerholm, inspector at the serious crime group in Uppsala.

He believes that the legal system is not adapted to gang shootings.

Most investigations are closed due to lack of evidence, but even when the evidence is so strong that it is sufficient for prosecution, it is difficult to get someone convicted, he believes.

Police investigators critical

Mission review has reviewed verdicts regarding murder and attempted murder over the past four years in Sweden.

The survey shows that the percentage of convictions differs greatly between shootings in a criminal environment and other types of murder and attempted murder.

Of the 900 sentences, 100 relate to shootings in a criminal environment.

Among these, the percentage of convictions is 53 percent.

For the murders and attempted murders that are not shootings, the figure is instead 82 percent.

It arouses criticism among police investigators. 

- Courts are less inclined to add up evidence, so you want to split it up and look at each part separately.

The evaluation of evidence has become tougher in the courts, says Johan Segerholm of the Uppsala police. 

Think prosecutors are being pressured

Martin Weyler, councilor at Solna District Court, believes that prosecutors are being pressured by the poor explanation and are bringing charges without sufficient evidence. 

— I believe in some way that there is an influence that when you have what you think is almost good enough evidence, you go forward in some very difficult cases, these gang shootings, and test yourself a little, says Martin Weyler.

You mean that the prosecutors file charges too soon?

— Yes.

But Johan Segerholm and several other investigators with whom the Task Review has been in contact instead place the responsibility on the courts' evaluation of evidence.

- At the same time, it must be possible to discuss questions about proof requirements.

In order to bring about a real change in solving these crimes, I think it will take more than polishing our working methods.