"White Power" Teens Attacked Muslim Woman With Knuckleduster - Then an Immigrant Gang Took Revenge

KNIVSTA - A group of teenagers who, according to the investigation, shared racist and antisemitic views picked out a lone Muslim woman and attacked her with a knuckleduster. Days later, one of them confessed to an immigrant teenager. His two friends were then forced to their knees and made to apologise on camera.

Six people have now been charged over the two incidents, both in the town of Knivsta, north of Stockholm.

Attacked on her way home

On Sunday, March 8, a Muslim woman in her mid-thirties was walking home in Knivsta after an evening shift at her workplace in Uppsala. Shortly after leaving the station, she heard footsteps behind her.

She was just about to turn off towards her home when she was struck, without any provocation, with a knuckleduster.

"Right as I did that, I was hit on the right side of my head. It was a hard blow just above the ear. Before I could understand what was happening, I was hit again the same way," she told police.

The blows knocked her to the ground. When she looked up, she saw one of the boys filming her. She got up and started screaming while the group laughed and walked off.

"I believe they had racist motives," she said.

The "White Power" chat group

Police later identified the attackers as four boys aged 15, 16, 16 and 17, along with a fifth boy who is also a minor.

A search of their phones showed they shared a Snapchat group called "White Power". The group was used to share Hitler images, racist jokes, Nazi salutes and the video of the assault.

Before they even arrived in Knivsta, according to one of the boys now charged, they had decided to "find prey" and beat up people with darker skin. They had also talked about spitting on people on the platform based on their skin colour or whether they wore a headscarf.

Caught on camera

Four of the boys were caught on surveillance cameras at a Willys supermarket. A fifth was picked up by a camera at a different location.

Station cameras captured the woman just after she got off the train and set off for home.

Conflicting accounts

The boys give differing versions of what happened that night. All of them are charged with aggravated assault.

The 17-year-old has been the most open with investigators. He admits the victim was chosen for racist reasons, that a knuckleduster was used and that he patted one of the others on the back during the assault. He still denies any crime.

A 15-year-old has also given detailed information and admits key parts of the sequence of events, while denying any crime. One of the 16-year-olds first gave a dismissive account but later admitted to throwing a punch. He also denies wrongdoing.

The other 16-year-old has said the least. Again and again he answers that he does not know or does not remember, even when shown the videos and asked about the chat group. He denies any crime.

Forced to their knees

Three days later, on March 11, the 17-year-old told a 15-year-old acquaintance with an immigrant background about the attack on the woman and said he felt bad about it. The 15-year-old then called some friends and told the 17-year-old to lure the two 16-year-olds to a secluded spot.

The 17-year-old told police he knew there would be a confrontation but not what would be done to his friends. When the 15-year-old arrived at the school, he told the 17-year-old to go home, which he did.

The two 16-year-olds stayed behind. According to the charges, they were confronted by several young immigrants, including the 15-year-old, who accused them of assaulting a woman. They were told to "apologise" and forced to their knees while being threatened with a knife.

"They would hurt his mother"

The group of three filmed the boys as they begged for forgiveness. A while later, the group marched the two 16-year-olds to a nearby bus stop, where a 17-year-old joined them. He is accused of striking one of the boys across the cheek.

During this part of the incident, the group also allegedly threatened to harm the boys' families. The two were told they were no longer welcome in Knivsta.

According to a police interview record, one of the boys said the group threatened to hurt his friend's mother. The 17-year-old then took them to a crossing by the school and told them they were not allowed to walk back into Knivsta, but had to head the other way, towards Märsta.

Six charged

The 15-year-old who organised the confrontation is charged with aggravated unlawful coercion and aggravated unlawful threats. He denies the charges. He admits meeting the 17-year-old and going to the school with others, but says everything happened fast and he saw no knife. He does confirm that the boys knelt and apologised.

The 17-year-old who joined at the bus stop is charged with aggravated unlawful threats and assault. He also denies the charges.

The 17-year-old who confessed is charged too, with aiding aggravated unlawful coercion and aiding aggravated unlawful threats, for allegedly luring his friends to the spot. He denies wrongdoing.

Two of the boys charged with attacking the woman are now also listed as victims in the second case.