Sunday, October 26, 2025
The Nordic Times

Polaris of Enlightenment

Sunday, October 26, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Breaking News

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/a-grim-weekend-for-swedens-sense-of-safety/

Sweden

A grim weekend for Sweden’s sense of safety

Deteriorating safety

Published today 6:12 pm
– By Editorial Staff
Several acts of violence have shaken Sweden in a short period of time.
3 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The wave of violence in Sweden continues with several shootings in the Stockholm area and a suspected aggravated rape in Malmö, southern Sweden.

It has been a dark weekend for Swedish safety. Several serious violent crimes have shaken many cities in less than 48 hours. Police have responded across the country, but many perpetrators have not yet been apprehended and residents report growing concerns.

Shootings in Stockholm County

Rinkeby

Late Saturday evening, a man in his mid-twenties was found shot outdoors in Rinkeby, a suburb of Stockholm. Police were alerted shortly after 9:30 PM and dispatched numerous resources to the scene. The search for the perpetrator is ongoing.

In the police press release, it was stated that the extent of the shooting victim's injuries is unclear and that the person has not yet been identified. Simultaneously, extensive operations connected to the incident were conducted throughout the police region.

– It's a broad search across large parts of Stockholm. We're searching in several different ways, including through regular patrols, information gathering, witness statements, and by reviewing surveillance cameras, said Daniel Wikdahl, press spokesman for the Stockholm region, during Saturday evening.

Södertälje

On the evening of October 24, a shooting was reported in Fornhöjden, Södertälje, a city south of Stockholm. Two people were hit near a car, and one of them later died at the scene. Two people were arrested in connection with the incident.

Police immediately initiated a preliminary investigation for attempted murder and are seeking witnesses. The alarm came at 9:23 PM, and several people heard shots. The area was cordoned off and a major operation was launched to find suspects and secure evidence.

– Several people have been arrested suspected of murder, says police press spokesman Nadya Norton.

Suspected outdoor rape in Malmö

An 18-year-old woman is suspected to have been subjected to rape in Pildammsparken in Malmö during Friday evening. The woman contacted police and reported that she felt she was being followed.

When police arrived at the scene, suspicions arose that the woman had been subjected to aggravated rape.

– There is no information that the suspected perpetrator is someone known to her – this is a stranger rape, says police press spokesman Evelina Olsson.

No suspect has yet been apprehended.

New shooting in Gävle - attempted murder in Finspång

Gävle / Brynäs

During Friday evening, several people were shot in the Brynäs district of Gävle, a city in central Sweden. A young man in his late teens has died and another was seriously injured. The incident is classified by police as murder/manslaughter and a large area was quickly cordoned off for technical examination.

– Relatives have been notified and another person is being treated in hospital with serious injuries, police press spokesman Magnus Jansson Klarin in a comment to tax-funded SVT (Swedish public broadcaster).

Saturday's shooting comes only three weeks after Gävle was hit by a mass shooting where six people were struck by bullets. No one sustained life-threatening injuries at that time.

Police are now investigating whether there are connections between the two shootings and see clear concerns about gang-related crime in the area.

– It's no news that there is a conflict situation right now in Gävle given recent events. That something more could happen is not entirely unthinkable either, says Magnus Jansson Klarin.

Finspång

A 45-year-old man was seriously injured in a fight at a restaurant in Finspång, a town in southeastern Sweden, during Friday evening. The man was taken to hospital after being stabbed with a sharp object. Police are handling the case as suspected attempted murder.

The suspected perpetrator is still at large, while police report that two people have been arrested suspected of harboring a criminal.

The wave of violence

The weekend's wave of violence, particularly the shootings in Stockholm and Gävle, underscores a worrying trend of escalating violence in populated residential areas. Several are linked to suspected gang crime.

Despite extensive police operations, arrests are lacking in several cases. It is clear that the threat to Swedish safety is not concentrated in one place but is spreading across several regions.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

TNT is truly independent!

We don’t have a billionaire owner, and our unique reader-funded model keeps us free from political or corporate influence. This means we can fearlessly report the facts and shine a light on the misdeeds of those in power.

Consider a donation to keep our independent journalism running…

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/nearly-200-bombings-in-sweden-this-year-despite-record-high-customs-seizures/

Sweden

Nearly 200 bombings in Sweden this year – despite record-high customs seizures

organized crime

Published October 20, 2025
– By Editorial Staff
In many cases, the attacks are carried out with hand grenades or illegal fireworks that are smuggled into the country from the Balkans or Eastern Europe.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Sweden has been hit by nearly 200 bombings during 2025. Meanwhile, customs authorities have seized over 42,000 explosive items during the first six months of the year – almost double compared to the entire previous year.

Police now see a clear shift where stolen goods from construction sites have been replaced by smuggled war materiel and illegal fireworks from the Balkans and Eastern Europe.

The bombings continue to shake Sweden. So far this year, the country has been hit by nearly 200 completed or failed bombing attacks, according to information obtained by Stampen-owned Göteborgs-Posten.

But the patterns are changing. Where it was previously most common for criminals to use explosives stolen from construction sites, police now see a new and alarming trend.

— During the summer and autumn, we have primarily seen detonations with hand grenades and with homemade explosive devices, says Malin Nygren, head of the Swedish police's national bomb data center.

Smuggling increases dramatically

Behind the change lies a sharp increase in smuggling. In many cases, it involves hand grenades or illegal fireworks being brought into the country from the Balkans or Eastern Europe.

The numbers speak for themselves: During the first half of 2025, customs seized over 42,000 explosive items. This is a record figure that almost doubles the just over 24,000 seizures made during all of 2024.

Martin Norell, expert at the Swedish Customs Service (Tullverket), shares the police's concern about the development.

— I don't feel that the situation is very bright in Sweden right now, he says.

Children manipulated to carry out the attacks

Behind the grim statistics lies a particularly dark reality: It is often children who are manipulated by criminal networks to carry out the bombing and arson attacks. The young perpetrators have in several cases been seriously injured when handling explosives and flammable liquids, and at least one death has occurred.

Many of the bombings have been carried out with smuggled hand grenades used for both revenge and extortion, and on several occasions unexploded hand grenades have been found in residential areas – or at or near preschools.

Dan Windt, operational coordinator at the Swedish police's national operations center, urges parents to be vigilant.

— Parents and other important adults need to continue being present in children's lives both physically and digitally. Ask many questions and ask for help. Contact the social services in your municipality if the child is contacted by criminals, or call the police at an early stage if you suspect that your child is about to commit a crime, so we can prevent it together.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/more-minors-in-sweden-are-facing-trial-for-serious-offenses/

Sweden

More minors in Sweden are facing trial for serious offenses

organized crime

Published October 14, 2025
– By Editorial Staff
A conviction ruling means that a court determines guilt, but since children under 15 are not criminally responsible in Sweden, no sentence is imposed.
1 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The number of children under 15 who are brought to trial in so-called evidentiary proceedings has increased sharply over the past year. A large proportion of the cases involve murder and attempted murder.

Up to and including September this year, 68 children under 15 have been brought to trial in evidentiary proceedings. This is nearly double compared to the entire previous year, when 38 children were processed in this type of case. The year before that, in 2023, the number was only seven cases, according to the Swedish Prosecution Authority (Åklagarmyndigheten).

Senior prosecutor Maria Franzén at the Swedish Prosecution Authority sees the increase as a consequence of rising crime rates among children and young people.

— Since the proportion of children participating in this type of crime is increasing, it's an expected effect that the number of cases with evidentiary proceedings also increases, she tells Swedish public radio SR.

Not criminally responsible

Of the 68 children, a full 43 are suspected of involvement in murder, preparation for murder, or attempted murder. Among the high-profile cases is a then 13-year-old boy who allegedly shot and killed a person with connections to criminal networks inside a restaurant.

An evidentiary proceeding means that a court determines the question of guilt, but since children under 15 are not criminally responsible under Swedish law, no sentence is imposed.

— Evidentiary proceedings are a good tool for social services to implement appropriate interventions for these children who have committed these crimes, says August Knutsson at the Swedish Police Authority's national operations center.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/europe/adopted-daughter-suspected-in-knife-attack-on-german-mayor/

Europe

Adopted daughter suspected in knife attack on German mayor

Deteriorating safety

Published October 9, 2025
– By Editorial Staff
German police are currently focusing on Stalzer's 17-year-old adopted daughter as the main suspect for the knife attack.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Iris Stalzer is now pointing to her 17-year-old adopted daughter as the suspect in the brutal knife attack in Stalzer's home, according to fresh information. Police say the investigation's focus remains on some form of family conflict and not political violence.

In the city of Herdecke in western Germany, the investigation continues after newly elected mayor Iris Stalzer (SPD) was stabbed severely in her home earlier this week.

Police and Stalzer are now pointing to her 17-year-old adopted daughter as the main suspect in the attack, reports Die Welt.

Stalzer was severely injured and received 13 stab wounds, including to her torso and lungs. After the attack, she managed to reach safety in the house where she was later found and received immediate medical care.

She is still being treated in hospital but according to reports, her condition has stabilized and she is no longer in life-threatening condition.

Iris Stalzer (SPD). Photo: Iris Stalzer/FB

Police found several suspected knives in the children's room. They also discovered bloodstains on clothing believed to belong to the adopted daughter as well as traces of blood cleaning in the residence.

The 15-year-old adopted son remains under police investigation but is not being identified as the main suspect.

In the year before the attack, several incidents of family violence have been reported and police have been called to the family's residence on repeated occasions.

Police now rule out a political motive behind the knife attack and see family conflicts as the main lead in the investigation.

The investigation continues intensively and the murder investigation unit in Hagen is leading the work to secure evidence and clarify motives.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz quickly condemned the attack and expressed hope for Stalzer's swift recovery.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/europe/newly-elected-german-mayor-targeted-in-attempted-murder-family-member-prime-suspect/

Europe

Newly elected German mayor targeted in attempted murder – family member prime suspect

Deteriorating safety

Published October 8, 2025
– By Editorial Staff
During the year, incidents of domestic violence have been reported in Stalzer's home, and police have previously been called to the residence due to violent incidents.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Iris Stalzer (SPD), newly elected mayor of the city of Herdecke in western Germany, was found yesterday in her home with life-threatening stab wounds. Police currently rule out a political motive and instead suspect the incident is connected to her family.

In Herdecke, a smaller city in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of western Germany, 57-year-old Iris Stalzer was found with multiple life-threatening stab wounds in her apartment on Tuesday.

According to information from her adoptive son, she was attacked outdoors by several men, but despite the severe injuries managed to retreat to her home. Politicians from across Germany quickly condemned the attack and expressed concern for Iris Stalzer's health.

Police have launched a major investigation and currently rule out that the attack had a political motive, instead suspecting that the perpetrator is actually within her own family circle.

Stalzer's two adoptive children, a 15-year-old son and a 17-year-old daughter, have been brought in for questioning and further investigation. Recent reports indicate that it is the 15-year-old adoptive son who has been arrested as the suspect for the attempted murder.

History of reported domestic violence

During the year, incidents of domestic violence have been reported at Stalzer's home, and police have previously been called to the residence due to violent incidents.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called the act a "despicable attack" and expressed hope for Stalzer's swift recovery. He has also directed his thoughts to her family and relatives.

Stalzer belongs to the Social Democrats (SPD) and she won the mayoral election with 52.2 percent of the votes, breaking the Christian Democrats' long rule in Herdecke. The small city of around 23,000 inhabitants has now gathered in concern over the serious attack.

This is far from the first time German politicians have been victims of violence. Historically, similar serious attacks have shaken the country and contributed to a growing debate about the safety of public representatives.

The investigation continues with forensic analyses and the murder investigation unit in the nearby city of Hagen has reportedly taken over the investigation.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

N

Polaris of Enlightenment

News

Other

Subscribe to our newsletter!

Follow TNT socials!

X-twitter Facebook Telegram Instagram

© 2022-2025 The Nordic Times TNT.
All rights reserved.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Donate

Our independent journalism needs your support!
Consider a donation.

You can donate any amount of your choosing, one-time payment or even monthly.
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Donate
Dont miss another article!

Sign up for our newsletter today!

Take part of uncensored news – free from industry interests and political correctness from the Polaris of Enlightenment – every week.