A 40-year-old Roma man who has been staying in Sweden together with his begging wife is now acquitted by three lay judges in the district court after having vaginal intercourse with a 14-year-old girl in a park. The Roma man met the girl while he was collecting cans and convinced her to come with him to a nearby park – where he had sex with her. The girl claims she did not give her consent, but the three politically appointed lay judges do not believe her. Samnytt can now reveal more about the case and the authorities behind the decision.

It was on April 22 this year that the 14-year-old girl, who attends a special needs school because she is diagnosed with autism and ADHD, went out to have a cigarette at a place in Stockholm.

Lacking cigarettes, she approached a man and asked if he had one to spare. She describes the man as “rather worn out” and having “a large belly.” The girl estimated that he was about 40-50 years old.

She gestured to show that she wanted a cigarette – which she got. She then went and sat down on a park bench a bit away to smoke. The man then followed her and sat down opposite her, which she thought was odd.

He allegedly then offered another cigarette, which she accepted, but then he took out money and showed a condom. He then stood up and waved for her to follow him.

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She followed him, but kept thinking “this is not a good idea, this won’t end well.” They then went to a park where they sat on a bench next to a stairwell, and the Roma man began to expose his genitals and looked at her in an uncomfortable way.

The girl says she wanted to run away, but felt she couldn’t – though she doesn’t know why. He then began to touch her over her genital area and labia. The girl became uncomfortable and felt “a lot of pain.” She felt disgusted.

Felt “like an eternity”

He then took the girl up a hill, where he pulled down his pants, and the girl responded by shaking her head. The Roma man then said “please” several times, while the girl said no.

He then pulled down her pants and pressed his penis against her genitals, she tried to push him away but couldn’t because “he was so big.” He then kissed her on the neck and touched her inside her underwear.

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The girl ended up on the ground and at that point, the Roma beggar inserted his penis into her vagina. He also held down her hands during the incident. It was said to have felt “like an eternity” before he finished.

When he tried to insert his penis again, she managed to push him away, at which point he got up and said “this is not good?”, to which the girl replied “no, I don’t want this anymore.”

She was in shock when she picked up her phone and called the police; a woman approached and asked if she was lost, but she didn’t answer – instead, she started crying. It was hard for her to stay coherent during the call with the police.

She later said in an interrogation that she had many emotions but at the same time was emotionally shut down during the incident. When she revealed her age, he reportedly laughed.

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Now the girl has difficulty falling asleep and cries when she thinks about the Roma beggar taking her virginity.

The Roma Man: “Didn’t want to have sex with her”

The Roma man presents a completely different story than the one the girl tells. He claims that it was the girl who wanted to sell sex to him, but that he refused – because she was “too ugly.”

He also claims that it was the girl who was the driving party in the entire act and that he had sex with her “for her sake.” He simply wanted to “continue collecting cans.”

Further in the interrogation, it emerges that the man and his wife are Roma, as he talks about paying a “dowry” when he and his “own Gypsy woman” got married.

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The Politicians: The Girl Should Have Left

The verdict announced at Stockholm District Court was a so-called lay judge verdict, in which the three political lay judges overruled the presiding judge and made their own decision.

The lay judges, Staffan Carlén (unknown), Charlie Medvedor Hahne (M), and Ann-Charlotte Olsson (unknown), did not consider it proven that the girl did not want to have sex with the 40-year-old Roma man. They also did not consider it proven that the Roma man knew the girl was under 15 years old.

Among other things, they argued that the girl should have left or “interrupted what was happening if she wasn’t participating in the activities voluntarily.” The lay judges also argue that the girl regretted it afterwards and that “consent was present.”

The course of events appears, in the District Court’s opinion, to be such that the plaintiff had several opportunities to simply leave and/or interrupt what was happening if she was not participating in the activities voluntarily.

In summary, nothing else has emerged than that the plaintiff had sexual intercourse with Ferdinand Stanescu and the sexual activities that preceded this, under voluntary circumstances. This means her consent was present throughout.

As far as can be understood, the plaintiff regretted it only afterwards. The District Court’s assessment is that Ferdinand Stanescu had no reason to even suspect that the plaintiff was not participating voluntarily in the sexual intercourse, let alone had intent to the latter aspect.

– Staffan Carlén (unknown), Charlie Medvedor Hahne (M) and Ann-Charlotte Olsson (unknown)

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The Judge Wanted Conviction and Deportation

Even though the lay judges did not believe it was proven that the Roma man either knew the girl was under 15 years old or raped her, the presiding judge did. Katerina Petkovska, who has been a judge since 2023, wanted both a conviction and lifetime deportation of the Roma man.

In her dissenting opinion added to the verdict, Petkovska stated, among other things, that the girl had been consistent throughout the investigation in claiming the Roma man had forced vaginal intercourse. Furthermore, she emphasized that the girl had told several people shortly after the event.

The fact that the girl appeared “somewhat numb and did not show much emotion” in the recorded interrogation, the judge argued, could be explained by her autism diagnosis. In addition, a witness stated that the girl recounted the events in a factual manner.

She also believed that supporting evidence favored the girl, including the emergency call made directly after the intercourse.

In my opinion, the plaintiff’s account is supported by the emergency call and incident report. From these, it appears that the plaintiff called 112 at 09:37, i.e., directly after the intercourse between the parties ended. The records show that the plaintiff, among other things, states: “Yes, but I don’t think he had time to ejaculate. He just put it in me,” and when asked if he inserted it in her vagina, the plaintiff answers “yes.” In the initial part of the emergency call, one also hears the plaintiff crying. In my opinion, this supports the plaintiff’s account and the prosecution.

– Katerina Petkovska (presiding judge)

In summary, Petkovska believes the Roma man should be convicted of child rape, sentenced to three years in prison, and expelled from Sweden for life. Deputy Public Prosecutor Filippa Henkow has stated she is dissatisfied with the verdict and has appealed to the Svea Court of Appeal.

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