After Samnytt's Articles: The Prime Minister Wants to See Reform of the Defamation Law

In a series of articles, Samnytt has highlighted the government’s ambitions to toughen the minimum sentence for aggravated defamation from a fine to imprisonment. Initially, the Sweden Democrats appeared to support the tightening, but after Samnytt’s articles, the party clarified that they want the law to be reformed, and now Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) says he wants to follow the SD line.

The tougher penalties risk leading to private individuals who warn about pedophiles, and women who speak out about men who raped them, being punished more harshly than today.

“The current minimum sentence of a fine does not appear compatible with the seriousness with which the violation of integrity that aggravated defamation typically involves should be viewed,” writes the government in its legislative referral. One of the changes the government wants to make is to strengthen the minimum sentence for aggravated defamation, from today’s fine to imprisonment for up to two years.

At a press conference attended by, among others, Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (M) and chair of the Justice Committee Henrik Vinge (SD), the changes were described as a “radical shift in Swedish criminal policy” and a “fundamental change in perspective.” However, not everyone was pleased.

– We fear that a tougher penalty risks exposing women even more, says Adine Samadi from the National Organization for Women’s and Girls’ Shelters in Sweden (Roks) to Samnytt.

SD Hesitant

Even though the Sweden Democrats also supported the toughening, they admitted that it is not optimally designed.

After Samnytt drew attention to the possible consequences of the tougher penalty, Henrik Vinge said that any changes to the punishment scales should first happen after the law is reformed.

– I do not think we should raise the punishment scales until we have decided how we are going to change the provision so that truthful and warranted statements are not punished. For example, it should be permitted to warn about dangerous criminals like pedophiles, and we should have a public pedophile register, Vinge told Samnytt.

The SD leader suggested that it is not even certain that any tougher penalties should be introduced at all when it comes to the defamation law.

– It is reasonable to set new punishment scales once you have developed a new and better defamation law, so we should wait with such possible toughening. People should not go to prison for warning about a pedophile.

Kristersson Demands Change

In a post on social media on Monday, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) highlights the unreasonableness of what the tougher penalty risks leading to.

“When a convicted pedophile moves into the house next door, you should be able to inform your neighbors without being convicted of defamation,” writes Kristersson, continuing:

“We want to amend the defamation legislation so that it better protects all decent people – not dangerous pedophiles, rapists, and murderers.”