Man acquitted of child rape
Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT

Man acquitted of child rape after court said 13-year-old looked older than her age

A 25-year-old man is acquitted of child rape because the district court believed that the 13-year-old girl "appeared to be significantly older than her age," reports SVT Nyheter Dalarna.

Falu District Court believes that the man "should not have realized the risk" that the girl was under 15, partly because she looked older. In the judgment, the court also mentions that the girl could have been out alone at night and was in a vehicle with older people.

The lay judge in the case does not share the acquittal assessment of the three jurors.

The prosecutor has appealed the verdict to the Court of Appeal.

It is a plainly incorrect assessment. You can't just go by external factors, like appearance. It is the adult who is responsible for doing the right thing. But it is like putting responsibility on the child, he tells SVT Nyheter Dalarna .

In this story
AuthorTT News AgencyEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for our readers
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