Elder Care Worker Arrested for Rape and Serious Sexual Assaults

An employee of Skellefteå municipality’s elder care services has been arrested on suspicion of multiple aggravated sexual offenses against care recipients. The suspicions include, among other things, rape, aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, and sexual molestation. According to the prosecutor, the suspected crimes are believed to have taken place over several years.

When the investigation began, the man was only suspected of sexual assault and was not detained at that time. During the initial interviews, he denied the allegations.

The preliminary investigation into the suspected systematic sexual crimes has expanded in scope. The man has now been apprehended and detained, and the investigation has been broadened to include additional suspected offenses.

Prosecutor Viktoria Lundqvist, who leads the investigation, states that the suspected crimes are believed to have been committed over an extended period, between 2023 and 2026. It was staff within elder care who raised the alarm and filed a police report against the man.

Skellefteå municipality has confirmed that the suspect is employed by the municipality and that he was immediately suspended from duty when the suspicions became known.

When local newspaper Norran previously interviewed the prosecutor, she described the investigation as both extensive and serious, explaining that the long periods during which the crimes allegedly took place is partly due to investigators not yet being able to determine exactly when the various offenses occurred.

According to the prosecutor, the investigation involves more than one victim, but she declined to specify how many individuals are believed to have been affected as the preliminary investigation is still in its early stages.

“Safety Talks”

At the same time, the municipality has initiated a personnel case, filed a Lex Sarah report, and made its own police report regarding information about suspected irregularities at a care and nursing home.

Linda Dehlin, Head of Health and Social Care, told local newspaper Norran that the municipality will investigate the incidents. She also stated that crime victims have been offered “safety talks” to ensure their well-being.

Criminal Record Checks Introduced Only This Spring

After the fact, Skellefteå municipality refers to having introduced stricter routines as early as autumn 2025 for how staff should act when serious incidents or suspected irregularities come to light.

It wasn’t until March this year that the municipality required extracts from both the criminal and suspicion registers for new hires in health, care, and support services.