Minister's killer not insane - psychiatrists

The confessed killer of Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh was not suffering from a serious mental illness at the time of the stabbing, according to a psychiatric evaluation released today.

Mijailo Mijailovic, 25, has said he followed the instruction of voices in his head when he stabbed Lindh on September 10 in a Stockholm department store.

A court-appointed team of psychiatric doctors found that Mijailovic was not suffering from a serious mental illness and that there were no medical reasons to sentence him to psychiatric care instead of prison.

The defence could choose to have other experts testify on Mijailovic’s mental health.

A sentencing hearing is set for March 16, with the verdict announced a week later. If ruled seriously mentally ill, Mijailovic will be sent to psychiatric care instead of prison.

Prosecutors want Mijailovic, a Swede of Serbian origin, convicted of murder, but his defence lawyer has argued the charge should be reduced to manslaughter.