Swedish women's rights groups regret Assange not questioned over sex crimes allegations

[IwantToRetire]

Women's rights advocates said on Tuesday they regretted that Julian Assange was not questioned over rape and other sex crime allegations in Sweden, as the WikiLeaks founder eyes freedom after a long legal odyssey in Britain.

The Australian is due to make a deal in a U.S. court on Wednesday that will set him free after five years in British prison.

Between 2012 and 2019, Assange took refuge in Ecuador's embassy in London to duck extradition to Sweden over the 2010 allegations, claiming the Nordic country may in turn extradite him to the U.S. where he faced espionage charges.

Assange has rejected the Swedish accusations.

Swedish prosecutors in 2019 dropped their remaining probe, into rape, saying the plaintiff's account of events was credible but the many years passed had weakened evidence.

"It's a betrayal against the women who reported him and who have not been given a chance for legal redress," said Clara Berglund, head of the Swedish Women's Lobby, an umbrella organisation for women's rights groups.

"It's a chapter of shame and betrayal that ends with his release," she said. "This is about a case that takes place on the major political stages, and men's violence against women is given incredibly little weight."

A spokesperson for Assange was not immediately available for comment.

Elisabeth Massi Fritz, the rape case plaintiff's lawyer, said it is bad that Assange could not be tried in Sweden.

"There was evidence and it would have been of great importance to have the evidence tested in a Swedish court. For a plaintiff, it is extremely important," she said.

One of the women who filed complaints against Assange in Sweden over sexual assault, Anna Ardin, said on X she welcomed his release.

"I have had zero power here but I'm happy that he is out and hope he can fight for transparency and human rights, without molesting women," she said.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/news/swedish-womens-rights-groups-regret-163812257.html

Its funny how the male myth makers who collude with self publicist, will happily overlook that their "hero" is a suspect in sexual crimes.

I'm happy that he is out and hope he can fight for transparency and human rights, without molesting women

And so true of so many others claiming they are on the cutting edge of challenging the status quo.

Thanks for posting this, OP.
Does anyone have a link to an article which brings together all the accusations against Assange? There was one of rape, by one woman, which was the case dropped by Swedish prosecutors who obviously have a shorter interpretation of 'statute of limitations' for rape than other jurisdictions.
The article refers to women in the plural - were there other charges brought against him?

BTW didn't he look well getting on and off planes, given that he was too ill to attend his own appeal, and 'would not survive extradition'.

I am fairly sure there was a thread on here but cant find it.

Quite a detailed list of offences here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assange_v_Swedish_Prosecution_Authority

A number of women made complaints against him, which all had the same basis that he used deception in terms of what the women were consenting to, eg stealthing.

The women reported to police, not all wanted a prosecution, but to let them know about his behaviour.

But the main thing is the moment he knew the police had been informed he fled.

And at the point in making himself subject to a European Arrest Warrant he opened himself up to then being open to a request from the US for him to be sent to the US (for other reasons!)

In fact, Sweden's record on actual prosecutions for rape and sexual assault is not good, nor the number of actual convictions.

Assange probably would have just got a slap on the wrist and been able to continue his self publicising tour without an problems.

He actual created the myth of him being the most wanted man ever, by his cowardly response to having his anti woman behaviour made public.

Thanks, IwantToRetire, that's very useful.

There was an excellent article in the Guardian back when the extradition fight first started that really pulled all of it together. Tried the other day on their archive site but couldn't find it. But yes, it was two cases and included deliberate stealthily, penetrating a sleeping woman and pinning another down with his arms to enter her without a condom. Utterly repulsive and the worst of the apologists was that UN rapporteur on torture, Nils Something-or-other from Geneva, downplaying the whole sorry affair.

There was an excellent article in the Guardian

Goodness me - must have been some time ago or pre LOJ?

My understanding is that the allegations were investigated at the time and dismissed by the Swedish authorities.

Read the information link I supplied.

Is this the article? https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/dec/17/julian-assange-sweden

And then this https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/nov/19/sweden-drops-julian-assange-investigation

Really he is just the forerunner of what we now call incels.

The world he live in was virtual, which is why he was never a journalist nor had any idea or ethical understanding of reporting.

Let alone all the "families" he has left behind along the way, and his new pretend family which was the basis of earlier attempt to escape prosecution by say the was being denied his rights to s "family life". Which was strange as he has a family in Australia.

Thanks for posting this.
I was listening to David Davis being interviewed by Evan Davies about Assange's release on radio yesterday, and DD was basically saying what a great guy Assange was for exposing US war crimes and he should have been let out earlier.
I was livid and shouting at the radio WHAT ABOUT THE WOMEN IN SWEDEN

@IwantToRetire yes that's the one! Good on you for finding it.

This is a bit outing but I actually worked closely with several of the academic teachers of one of the victims, and everybody was always extremely clear that this was in fact a bona fide rape case. It's a shame how it's being swept under the carpet again, not least the fact that the charges were primarily dismissed because the creepy bastard simply sat out the statute of limitations on all but one of them.

Kevin Maguire, Daily Mirror assoc. ed. was reviewing the papers on Sky News tonight. He acknowledged Assange's exposé of war crimes etc., as you'd expect, but went on to say Assange should have gone to Sweden to answer the rape charges instead of hiding out in the Ecuadorian Embassy.

Kevin Maguire???!!!!!

He's always such an obnoxious w-r talking over women, and laughing at them (based on paper reviews)

But glad he made the point.

So few are.

what a great guy Assange was for exposing US war crimes

The point is he was (is) a hacker and becaue he was very good, it seemed to make him think he was also good at politics.

Having got the information, when he found that actually journalists were saying you cant just dump all of it because you find it tedious to edit because you will endanger lives, he just got bored and dumped the lot.

He is the one who gave hackers a back name. Far from working for the good of others, he just made them see what he is, an immature schoold boys who has technical skills, but no political skill or human empathy.

There were some very revealing interviews with his first wife and children that clearly indicate they weren't very important to him.

He was only important because the international left will promote anyone who is anti "US imperialism the great satan". They are all posture and no substance.

And now that it is convenient for main stream politicians, ie Biden wanting to shore up the left in the US who are disilusioned with him and the forthcoming elections in Australia. He was originally a convicted hacker in Australia.

But of course for them men squaring off against each other is so much more important that women who were exploited by a self serving egotist.

Rogue to Victim: What Australia Sees in Julian Assange
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/26/world/australia/assange-justice.html also at https://archive.ph/0DxSA

Also forgotten that his hacking played a part in the Trump sucessful branding of Clinton as "crooked Hilary" (not forgetting she got more actual votes than him but didn't become President).

Eastern European dissident Twitter is full of anti-Assange posts atm. Just one sample from the Belarusian opposition:

https://x.com/A_Sannikov/status/1805826650044518826

He fled?! My recollection of that time was that he met with the authorities, co-operated and was questioned.

He fled?! My recollection of that time was that he met with the authorities, co-operated and was questioned.

Yes he did, and despite it being requested that he remain in Sweden whilst investigations were concluded he fled.

One of the reasons why so many people did think the allegations against him were more than substantial.

I remember talking about this with my ex-H and ex-FIL. I wanted him sent back to Sweden, they were more worried about him being extradited to the USA. Apparently the rape allegations were a stitch up to get him sent to the USA. 🙄 Not because he'd actually been a disgusting human being.

The 'creepy, lovesick' emails Julian Assange sent to 19-year-old girl student.
Sleazy bastard. Prototype incel, as you say.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1339287/Gawker-exposes-WikiLeaks-boss-Julian-Assanges-creepy-lovesick-emails-girl-19.html

they were more worried about him being extradited to the USA

This was the standard, not just male, response. ie even if he had committed a sexual offence, he shouldn't have to face the consequences.

And yes, blah, blah, blah, it was just a stitch up.

He isn't half as important the media make out.

He is just a hacker.

And has on occassion got information, that would probably have come to lights anyway.

But he is not a journalist and the way he handled the information was irresponsible and gave investigative journalism a bad name.

Like so many tech bros he is just and unreconstructed incel.