The Justice System’s Priorities in Violent Sweden: Prosecuting Young People Who Drink Beer on Walpurgis Night

A 22-year-old man is being put on trial at Uppsala District Court after drinking a beer in a public place during the Walpurgis celebrations in the city. The prosecution raises questions about police priorities in a Sweden marked by shootings, bombings, and increasingly severe everyday crime.

A 22-year-old man of Swedish background is being prosecuted at Uppsala District Court after drinking a strong beer on Dragarbrunnsgatan during Walpurgis Night in Uppsala. According to the charges, the man violated the municipality’s local public order regulations by consuming alcohol in a public place where alcohol is prohibited.

The incident occurred at around 9:50 PM on April 30, amid extensive Walpurgis celebrations in central Uppsala. A police patrol, part of the special “Walpurgis command,” reported catching the man drinking a beer with an alcohol content of over 3.5 percent.

The man was then suspected of violating the Public Order Act and was offered an on-the-spot fine of 500 kronor. However, he did not accept the fine, leading to the case proceeding to prosecution and a main hearing in the district court. The prosecutor could have chosen to drop the case, but judged the chances of securing a conviction as good.

Questioned in Police Car

The preliminary investigation protocol shows the man was questioned in a police car the same evening the “crime” was committed. During the interrogation, he consistently chose not to comment on questions about his alcohol consumption or the rules in central Uppsala, including whether he acknowledged or denied the crime.

– No comments, was his consistent answer.

According to the documents, the man also said that he had “contributed a lot to taxes.” The prosecutor now wants two police officers, on duty at the time, to be called to court and testify as witnesses to confirm that the man consumed alcohol at the scene.

Extensive Regulations Around Alcohol Bans

The preliminary investigation also includes Uppsala municipality’s local public order regulations, totaling 14 pages including maps showing areas where alcohol bans apply as well as exceptions where alcohol consumption is permitted at certain times.

According to the regulations, it is forbidden to drink strong beer, wine, or spirits in most public places in Uppsala. However, there are special exception areas where drinking alcohol is allowed between 7:00 AM and midnight during Walpurgis Night and other occasions.

Orphei Drängar singing as tradition dictates on Walpurgis Night on the steps of Carolina Rediviva. Image: Uppsala University.

It is not clear whether the municipality expects everyone present in the city to carry a copy of the compendium and the map. Without one, the risk is essentially high to make a mistake, be apprehended by police, and end up in court.

Raises Questions About Police Priorities

The case reignites the debate about police resource allocation. Earlier in the spring, criticism was directed at the large police presence during the Walpurgis celebrations in Lund, where large numbers of officers were used for ID checks and pouring out alcohol from youths and students in the city park.

Critics then argued that police were focusing on minor offences and alcohol checks while Sweden is plagued by gang shootings, bombings, fraud against the elderly, and brutal humiliation robberies that many feel an understaffed police force does not have time to investigate.

The police defended the effort by citing large gatherings, the security situation, and the need for order during events with tens of thousands of participants. Still, criticism persisted.

Now, the prosecution in Uppsala also raises questions about proportionality and priorities – with police resources, preliminary investigation, interrogations, prosecution, and court hearings all tied up over a single beer in a public place on Walpurgis Night.

Fatal Shooting on Walpurgis in Uppsala

Among the serious crimes committed in Uppsala during last year’s Walpurgis, while the police were busy prosecuting beer drinkers, was a fatal shooting at Vaksala Square. It was a contract killing linked to organized crime.

A man, later identified as Fredric Gülich Brendling and convicted for the deed, armed himself with two pistols, shot at three people in the open street, and then finished the assignment inside a hair salon where one of the targets had sought refuge.