ANALYSIS: The prosecutor's three challenges in the Tove case

The first concerns the 18-year-old's involvement. Prosecutor Adam Rullman alleges that she was guilty of murder jointly and in concert with the 20-year-old. The 18-year-old claims she was not involved in any form of violence or restraint and says she was not even in the room where Tove died.

The prosecutor relies on the 20-year-old's confession, in which she recounts how she strangled Tove while the 18-year-old held her arms. Some support for this can be found in the forensic opinion, which states that Tove's injuries "are compatible" with the fact that they occurred in the way the 20-year-old said. How strong this "compatible" is, the district court will have to decide. The questioning of the coroner could be crucial.

If the prosecution does not succeed here, the 18-year-old should be acquitted of murder because there is no alternative claim, such as "aiding and abetting murder".

Denies murder

The second point concerns the murder charge against the 20-year-old. She denies murder but admits the facts. The 20-year-old says she did not intend to kill, but that it was an accident. However, it is difficult to see how she will manage to get out of this, given that she has admitted to strangling Tove and holding on for about ten seconds.

Here, a key piece of evidence may be one of the neighbors who told us that the sounds of altercations from the 20-year-old's apartment went on much longer than that, up to a minute or more. And if the 20-year-old really didn't intend to kill Tove, there are other forms of intent that the prosecutor can use.

Aggravated breach of grave peace?

The third point concerns the removal of the body. The prosecution has charged both women with aggravated grave violence offences, which means a body is not only moved but also subjected to serious injuries, such as dismemberment or fire. The 20-year-old is likely to be convicted here as she admits to trying twice to set Tove's body on fire.

The 18-year-old admits to a grave crime but does not want to agree that it is serious. She says she felt compelled by the 20-year-old to help carry her body out of the apartment and drive it to a wooded area. She also claims that she in no way harmed or obscured Tove's body.