Between May and September 2020, the so-called Nytorgsmannen was reported by two different women.
The first report led to witness interviews and other investigative measures, but according to the prosecutor, there was not much to go on.
- The only thing I can do to stop an ongoing crime is to decide on a deprivation of liberty and that was not relevant for various reasons.
In this case, I doubt whether the court would have detained him because the information was so weak, says Helena Nordstrand, the prosecutor who led the preliminary investigation against the Nytorgsmannen.
The second report ended up with another prosecutor and also did not have time to lead to any action against the man.
Went to an after party and called the police
One of the reports came from the Nytorg man's ex-girlfriend.
When her friends Tina and Ofelia found out what he had put her through, they decided to act.
- I know what the statistics look like and I know how difficult it is to prove something like this, says Tina.
Because they suspected that the Nytorgsmannen had access to drugs, Tina decided to go to an after-party at his house to get it confirmed.
There he also showed her a weapon.
When she left, she called 112. Since an armed crime can lead to immediate danger, the police intervened.
The finding that led to the verdict
The weapon turned out to be a soft air gun, but the police also found narcotics and his phone was confiscated.
A few weeks later, the mobile had been emptied of its contents and the police found a number of videos of sexual assaults on various women.
Then the Nytorgsmannen was arrested and the investigation was quickly escalated.
Then followed a nine-month investigation that led to his conviction for crimes against 19 different women.
He was convicted of, among other things, rape in the two cases that were reported in 2020, before the mobile phone was found.
Would he have been caught for this crime even if the drug crime had not been in the picture?
- It is actually doubtful if he would have done it.
It is regrettable and appalling.
I can't say otherwise, says prosecutor Helena Nordstrand.
See the entire Document from the inside: Nytorgsmannen on SVT Play or on SVT1 at 21:00.