Jonatan Alfvén has dedicated a large part of his adult life to helping vulnerable women and children. Now, he himself faces charges of aggravated defamation after posting information about convicted sex offenders on Facebook. This is not a civil case – the prosecution is driven by the state through a public prosecutor. Alfvén expects to be convicted but does not intend to be silenced.
– We have no plans to stop informing the public about official records when it comes to convicted pedophiles and rapists.

Jonatan is the chairman of the children’s rights organization Barnens Vingar, which he founded together with his wife. The organization works to help children who have been subjected to sexual abuse and their families, primarily through fundraising, support, and by sharing the stories of those affected.

Jonatan also has extensive experience with international aid work. Samnytt has previously reported on how, through the former aid organization Love and Hope, he has been involved in combating child sex trafficking in Asia and in rescue operations for vulnerable women.

Parallel to his aid work, he has campaigned for tougher approaches against sex offenders and a stronger victim-centered perspective. It is this activity that has now brought him before the Stockholm District Court.

On August 19, Jonatan will stand trial, charged with aggravated defamation. His work to protect children from sexual predators is not appreciated by the judicial system.

Prosecutor Brings Charges

According to the indictment, Jonatan on several occasions during 2025 published or allowed to be published the names, photos, and towns of residence of individuals on his Facebook page, along with texts identifying those persons as sex offenders.

Prosecutor Gustav Andersson argues that Jonatan was not – in the legal sense – obligated to make those statements and that the publications were not defensible.

READ ALSO: Teenage girl convicted for warning about sex offender

The moral obligation Jonatan feels to speak out is not considered. The crimes are also considered aggravated, referencing the content or the extent of the exposure, which is deemed capable of causing serious harm. Jonatan denies wrongdoing.

This is not about the identified individuals themselves bringing a civil case against him; the prosecution is a public criminal case brought by the state. For Jonatan, this is an important distinction of principle.

From his perspective, the state is using its resources to prosecute a child rights activist for having published information about crimes for which the named individuals have already been convicted.

Samnytt spoke with Jonatan ahead of the trial.

So, this is not a civil case where the individuals themselves have sued you?

– No. All five cases fall under public prosecution.

And despite the indictment, you plan to continue publishing this kind of information?

– We have no plans to stop informing about public documents when it comes to convicted pedophiles and rapists. We have to find a way to do so somehow.

READ ALSO: Jonatan, 33, wrote about pedophiles on Facebook – then the police came

A central point in the indictment is the scope and content of the published information. The indictment states this as the reason for classifying the acts as aggravated defamation.

Jonatan reacts to what he sees as a paradox – the more serious the crime a person has committed, the more offensive it is considered to tell others about it, and accordingly, the more serious the risk of the act being judged as defamation.

– These perpetrators are convicted of the most heinous crimes. Some have even reoffended.

“We believe we acted in self-defense”

Jonatan does not describe the publications as an end in themselves or as merely further punishment of convicted individuals. He argues that the aim is to protect others from people who may commit new assaults. He even likens the actions to self-defense.

So you primarily see the publications as a way to protect others?

– Yes, absolutely. We firmly believe we have acted in self-defense. Here, we have recidivist pedophiles and rapists who have committed the most horrendous crimes.

This is also where Jonatan’s fundamental criticism of defamation laws comes in: the fact that information is true does not automatically mean it can be spread without legal consequences. In defamation cases, it is also assessed whether sharing the information was defensible.

READ ALSO: After Samnytt’s articles: Prime Minister calls for defamation law reform

For Jonatan, this means the protection of the convicted person’s integrity is sometimes weighed against the public’s and potential future victims’ right to information. He believes the balance is skewed.

– Authorities are always focused on the perpetrator’s perspective; it’s all about the perpetrator’s reintegration into society.

According to Jonatan, developments in society have made the question even more urgent. Previously, information about someone who had committed a serious crime would be widely known in a small local community. In today’s more anonymous society, a person can serve their sentence, move, and change their name without people nearby knowing their history.

– Today, they are protected. And with defamation law, that’s not enough: they are also granted compensation and damages by reporting those who have shared information about the crimes they have committed.

This is Jonatan’s description of the justice system’s consequences. The prosecutor’s formal position is not that the named individuals should be “restored,” but that the publications were indefensible and intended to expose them to the contempt of others and cause serious harm—a violation of their honor and reputation.

“The People Are With Us”

Jonatan also perceives a significant difference between authorities’ views on the matter and what he characterizes as the general sense of justice. Over the summer, Barnens Vingar launched a petition to change defamation law. According to Jonatan, more than 20,000 people have signed.

READ ALSO: Held as a sex slave in Arab country – saved by Swede Jonatan

He also claims that the petition’s distribution was quickly limited on Facebook, and that a large number of posts and accounts have been affected.

– We did a petition here this summer. Over 20,000 people have signed it. It was very quickly heavily restricted by Meta. An estimated several thousand posts were blocked and thousands of accounts have been limited after people shared the petition.

Jonatan has tried to deliver the petition to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M), but was denied. This made him noticeably upset.

Why do you think the issue isn’t making more of a political impact if the support is as great as you describe?

– I don’t think it’s the people who have this skewed view, but our victim-unfriendly authorities and politicians.

He names various public activities and stunts the Prime Minister has found time to participate in—like cycling in the Pride parade—and contrasts this with the refusal to find time to accept the petition.

The prime minister, surrounded by other moderate ministers, supports a movement that wants to change children’s gender. They also pushed through a law allowing children to change gender, despite their parliamentary group being against it.

If you are right-wing and vote for the Moderates, you are deceived. pic.twitter.com/TnLAUr2m5s

— Nick Alinia (@NickAlinia) August 6, 2026

– We’re asking for two minutes. Then you have to ask: Why is there no time for the country’s most vulnerable women and children?

Jonatan repeatedly returns to the phrase “victim-unfriendly.” He argues that the authorities’ strong focus on the culprit’s rehabilitation and privacy comes at the expense of the victims. And he is convinced that public opinion is on his side.

– The people are with us, I would say. I believe that the people’s will will eventually win, but sometimes it takes time. I really believe we have the people on our side, but it’s our authorities and politicians who are the problem.

Wants to Put Public Safety First

When the conversation turns to how society should handle people who have committed serious sexual offenses, Jonatan makes a clear prioritization—public safety must come first.

He is critical of what he sees as too much faith in therapy and rehabilitation when those who have committed extremely serious sexual crimes return to the community.

What do you think society’s top priority should be when someone is convicted of this kind of crime?

– The number one priority should be to protect society from these men. If they want to do CBT or whatever, that’s up to them. But the focus must always be on ensuring society is protected from them.

Jonatan points to the USA as an example of a completely different approach. In many states, there are public registers of convicted sex offenders and various forms of monitoring even after sentences are served.

It is the principle behind this system that appeals to him—that the community should be able to know that a person has been convicted of a sexual crime.

– I think we should look to the USA for this, so neighborhoods are informed and the police conduct regular checks. That’s where the focus should be.

READ ALSO: Dad Johan, 50, tells: I warned about the Ekerö pedophile “Vilma” – was ordered to pay 20,000

According to Jonatan, in Sweden the consequence is instead that private individuals trying to warn others risk ending up in court themselves. He points to previous cases where people have been prosecuted after warning about individuals with serious criminal histories.

A recent high-profile case is Robin/Vilma reported by Samnytt, who, after kidnapping a child, went on to murder and dismember a woman in Rönninge, southern Greater Stockholm.

The person who publicly warned that this was a dangerous individual was convicted of defamation, something Samnytt also covered. Only after that did the murder occur.

Jonatan is careful not to claim that a specific later criminal act could definitely have been prevented if the warning had been allowed to circulate. But he believes there’s an obvious risk when people are discouraged from warning others.

– There may be times when the state goes after dedicated individuals who inform about these criminals, and that can then have consequences—that more women will be victimized, that more children will be victimized.

The Children Behind the Advocacy

Although much of the public attention around Jonatan lately has focused on posting about convicted sex offenders, he says that this is not the core of his work. That is instead found in Barnens Vingar.

The organization raises money for children who have been sexually abused and helps vulnerable families. Another part of the work is giving survivors the opportunity to have their stories told.

What is really your main driving force—to warn about perpetrators, change laws, or help those who have already been harmed?

– My wife and I started a relief organization that operates here in Sweden called Barnens Vingar. What Barnens Vingar does, I’d say, is the driving force behind the advocacy I also carry out in my name.

– We raise money, which we turn into gifts and give to children, especially children who have been raped. We also help the children’s families and families that share their stories.

READ ALSO: 220,000 Sign Petition Against Damages Awarded to Rapist

The inbox is full, Jonatan says, with messages from women and children who have been victims themselves. For some, having someone else share what happened to them is an important part of feeling seen by the community.

– There really is a sense of restoration in having one’s story told.

Here, Jonatan once again ties his aid work to his criticism of defamation law.

– If they themselves had gone public with their stories, they could have ended up in prison for it. But that we can stand up for them and tell their stories—that gives a sense of restoration for them and for others who have been subjected to such crimes.

He continues:

– The major driving force is definitely to carry forward the voices of vulnerable women and children and to help them. Many of them have been betrayed by society and by our authorities.

For Jonatan, support is thus not merely about money. It’s also about conveying to victims that society’s response is not necessarily the same as that of the authorities.

– We can step in and simply say: “You know what? The people, the Swedish people—we’re on your side.” We’ve really seen how much that can mean.

Expecting to Be Convicted

The main hearing will take place on August 19 in Stockholm District Court. Jonatan expects that people will gather outside the court from 8 am for the trial. He hopes the process will receive significant media attention.

– We want to make it a circus. Whether I am convicted or not doesn’t matter. The most important thing is to raise the issue, to get defamation law reformed so that no one else is convicted like this, and so that women and children can tell their stories without losing their money or their freedom.

Do you think you will be acquitted or convicted?

– Since this case has been going on for nearly a year and since we have not chosen to be quiet but rather stepped things up, we believe this will lead to a conviction. We are pretty sure about that.

However, Jonatan does not believe he will be sentenced to jail time this time around. He does not have prior convictions and hopes for a non-custodial sanction.

READ ALSO: Court of Appeal: Mats Dagerlind jailed after journalism on Internet Hate Reviewer

But he expects to continue the work that has led to the prosecution. Thus, he sees a risk that a future defamation conviction could have far more serious consequences.

– This time, we don’t think it will be a prison sentence. Next time, we think it will be.

According to Jonatan, the probation service has assessed that there is a high risk of recidivism. He himself seizes on this with a touch of dark humor.

– They say Jonatan is at high risk for relapse. And they’re actually right. But relapse for what? For helping more children?

The situation has also had private repercussions. Jonatan is a father of a young child and says that social services have become involved due to the legal proceedings.

– I have a little daughter at home. I’ve been called to social services twice in the past year to explain why I’m a good father even though I name pedophiles. If I am given a custodial sentence in the future, social services will be involved again. It’s tough right now.

But Jonatan does not seem about to back down. For him, the prosecution has become yet another part of the question that Barnens Vingar already advocates for—who the justice system should primarily protect when the convicted’s privacy is weighed against the interests of victims and the public.

And even though he now personally risks being convicted of aggravated defamation, his message before the trial is the same as before:

– The fight is now.

READ ALSO: Ekeroth: “Good That SD Does Not Want to Toughen Penalties for Defamation”