The controversial site, founded by Sara Nilsson and former high jumper Patrik Sjöberg, has for several years published information about people who tried to meet children for sex.
A man who was posted on the site filed an individual lawsuit against Dumpen in 2024. The case was tried as a freedom of the press and expression case before a jury, and now the responsible publisher of Dumpen has been convicted by the Gothenburg District Court.
"I'm not surprised. I know what Swedish legislation looks like," says Sara Nilsson.
Minor damages
Sara Nilsson was sentenced to a suspended sentence and 60 daily fines, a total of SEK 14,400. However, the man named received significantly less in damages than he had demanded: just over SEK 43,000 compared with a demand of almost half a million SEK.
Lawyer Patrik Hansson, who represents the man, says he needs to analyze the verdict before making a statement.
"We can conclude that the district court ruled correctly on the issue of guilt. I can't say more than that right now," he says.
Sara Nilsson says that the ruling will affect Dumpen, but that it is too early to say to what extent.
"It is clear that it does. We will work significantly more with lawyers and we will ensure that legal proceedings are initiated against the Swedish state."
"If we are not satisfied with the legislation, we must work for change and that is what we are doing."
“Are there limitations?”
In early 2024 Dumpen published information that the man had sought sexual contact with children. Among other details, the article included his first name and his profession.
The jury that took part in the trial found the information defamatory, a conclusion the three judges in the court agreed with.
"Adults trying to contact children for sexual purposes are a societal problem that is, of course, important to highlight. But there are also limitations to freedom of expression when it comes to what information can be published," says Councilor Kristin Holgersson, the rapporteur in the case, in a press release.
Dumpen was started in 2021 by Sara Nilsson and former high jumper Patrik Sjöberg.
In its own description, Dumpen calls itself "Sweden's only news site with a focus on child sexual abuse."
The site publishes information, videos and excerpts from chats where men have tried to contact children to have sex with them. However, the site's methods, including posing as a child in chats, have been the subject of much debate.
In 2024, one of the men posted on the site sued Sara Nilsson for gross defamation, for which she has now been convicted.
Since Dumpen has a certificate of publication, the current publications were examined as a freedom of the press and expression case.
