Out of about 4.7 million guest nights by international visitors in Stockholm County in 2016, Chinese nationals accounted for 117,476, a 74 percent rise from 2011, according to data published by the Stockholm Business Region, a company owned by the city of Stockholm. Most stayed in hotels, but 7,392 stayed in hostels.
Given all that, the Chinese Embassy’s charge of “brutal abuse” leveled against the Swedish police was clearly a diplomatic shot across the bow. The embassy also said it was “deeply appalled and angered by what happened and strongly condemns” the behavior of the Swedish police.
“We urged the Swedish government to conduct thorough and immediate investigation, and respond to the Chinese citizens’ requests for punishment, apology and compensation in time,” it added. “We cannot understand why the Swedish side has not given us any feedback.”
Linn Duvhammar, a spokeswoman for Sweden’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, acknowledged the request by the Chinese Embassy but said the case had been handled by “the responsible authority,” referring to the police.
A spokesman for the police in Stockholm, Lars Bystrom, said Monday, “We have nothing more to say in this case.”
Karl Jigland, a press officer for the Swedish Prosecution Authority, said on Monday that the Public Prosecution Office determined that the police had not committed a criminal offense during the incident at the Generator hostel, and decided on Sept. 7 not to open a preliminary investigation.
The prosecutor’s office did not consider whether the police officers’ actions were “the best way to handle a situation,” he said, adding that such questions were handled by the police themselves. But Mr. Bystrom, the police spokesman, said no such investigation was being conducted in this case.
Source : Nytimes
