Swedish doctor who locked up patient 'had planned to abduct someone'

A Swedish doctor who admitted to abducting a woman and locking her up in a home-made bunker had planned the crime for years and may have tried to capture other victims, prosecutors have said. Prosecutors and defence lawyers gave opening statements in the Stockholm district court before proceedings continued behind closed doors.

The 38-year-old man, whose name was not published in Sweden in line with privacy rules, has admitted to sedating the woman, abducting her and locking her up for almost a week in a soundproofed bunker he had built inside a machine shed next to his home.

He denies charges he also raped her.

The victim’s lawyer Jens Hogstrom told newspaper Expressen his client was traumatised by what happened and deeply stressed by having to face the doctor in court.

Mr Hogstrom said she is demanding €40,000 in damages.

That is not an unusual amount in Sweden, where damages are much lower than in, for example, the US.

Prosecutor Peter Claesson told reporters the defendant had planned to abduct someone for several years.

Defence lawyer Mari Schaub has said her client is deeply regretful and that he abducted the woman because he was sad and lonely and “wanted a partner”.

A psychiatric examination found he was not suffering from a severe mental illness.