Sweden’s ‘completely and utterly broken society’ serves warning to Britain as investigation lifts lid on crime wave

Special Investigations Editor at the Daily Mail Sue Reid says society is 'completely and utterly broken' in Sweden

GB NEWS
Ben Chapman

By Ben Chapman


Published: 01/02/2025

- 16:03

Sweden's security crisis deepened this week with the fatal shooting of controversial Koran-burner Salwan Momika

Daily Mail investigations reporter Sue Reid painted a stark picture of Sweden's deteriorating situation during her recent visit to the Nordic nation.

"It's a society that is completely and utterly broken", Reid told GB News, noting there was "very little hope" for ordinary citizens.


She attributed the crisis to Sweden's migration policies, particularly the country's decision to welcome 163,000 people in 2015.

Reid shared the story of Claudia, a Chilean immigrant, whose son's 14-year-old girlfriend was allegedly assaulted by a Middle Eastern migrant, illustrating the personal toll of what she described as the state's loss of control.

Sue Reid

Sue Reid told GB News her recent trip to Sweden showed her its society is 'completely and utterly broken'

GB NEWS / REUTERS

Sweden's security crisis deepened this week with the fatal shooting of controversial Koran-burner Salwan Momika in his Stockholm apartment.

The 38-year-old Iraqi refugee was gunned down on Wednesday, just hours before he was due to face trial for inciting ethnic hatred.

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In a stark admission following the killing, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told media it was "obvious that we have no control over the wave of violence".

Vice Prime Minister Ebba Busch condemned the murder as "a threat to our free democracy".

The shooting marks a dramatic escalation in Sweden's mounting security concerns, with Momika having previously sparked international outrage for his public desecration of the Koran in 2023.

The unprecedented wave of violence has seen 31 bombings rock Sweden in January alone, with one elderly man losing his leg in a blast.

\u200bSue Reid joined Dawn Neesom on GB News

Sue Reid joined Dawn Neesom on GB News

GB NEWS

The situation has become so commonplace that estate agents now list "no bombings" as a selling point when advertising properties in unfamiliar neighbourhoods.

Last year, a 20-year-old recently graduated teacher fell victim to one such explosion.

"People get tired of it," Swedish academic Goran Adamson told the Express. "You cannot take it in because if you did, you would go crazy."He warned that "the situation is much worse than people seem to realise."

The attacks have become so frequent that some explosions barely make headlines in Swedish media.

Five suspects have been detained in connection with Momika's killing, though police have not specified if the gunman was among them.

Prime Minister Kristersson suggested potential foreign involvement in the attack. "I can assure you that the security services are deeply involved because there is obviously a risk that there is a connection to a foreign power," he said at a news conference.

Several media outlets reported the shooting may have been broadcast live on social media.

The tabloid Aftonbladet claimed the attacker gained entry to the building through the roof.

Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf KristerssonPrime Minister of Sweden Ulf KristerssonGetty

Sweden's Security Service is now assessing the potential impact of the shooting "on Swedish security."

Swedish authorities are struggling to manage an overwhelmed prison system as their crackdown on gang violence yields results.

In 2023, Swedish courts handed down prison sentences totalling nearly 200,000 months, marking a 25 per cent increase from the previous year and double the figure from 2014.

The country's jails are now at capacity, with the Prison and Probation Service projecting a need for 27,000 beds by 2033, up from the current 11,000.

Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer announced that Sweden is exploring new solutions, including talks with other countries about renting prison space abroad.

Sweden's Commander-in-Chief Micael BydenSweden's Commander-in-Chief Micael BydenGB News

A government-appointed commission confirmed there were no legal obstacles to sending inmates to foreign prisons, pending parliamentary approval.

Sweden now ranks among Europe's deadliest nations for gun violence, with only Albania and Montenegro recording higher per capita rates.

The southern city of Malmo has been classified as more dangerous than Baghdad, according to recent assessments.

The brazen nature of violence was highlighted by criminologist Ardavan Khoshnood, who cited a 2023 incident where a 15-year-old calmly shot a gang leader in a Malmo shopping centre.

"Before when [someone shot] a gun they tended to run away," Khoshnood said. "But [the Emporia killer] didn't try to do anything. It just put the gun back in his pants, took out his phone, ordered a cab and waited."

The teen received just four and a half years in a young offenders institution, the maximum term possible for his age group.

A senior Stockholm police officer has strongly rejected claims of "no-go zones" in Sweden, despite reports suggesting 61 such areas exist where law enforcement struggles to operate.

Erik Akkerland, Chief Superintendent of Botkyra Municipality, told CBS News: "We don't have a no-go zone in Stockholm, in my opinion we don't have a no-go zone in Sweden."

However, recent footage shared on social media appears to show crowds confronting police vehicles in what was described as one such area, with officers reportedly retreating from the scene.

Swedish police maintain that crime statistics are improving, claiming to have prevented more than 100 serious offences this year, leading to fewer shootings and deaths.

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