Doctors falsely accused in da Costa murder case now seek government compensation

The two doctors wrongly implicated in the 1984 murder and dismemberment of Catrine da Costa are now pursuing financial compensation from the Swedish government, following renewed scrutiny of the case in a 2024 documentary series by public broadcaster SVT.

Thomas Allgén and Teet Härm were charged with the murder of the 27-year-old woman in the 1980s but were later acquitted in district court. However, the ruling stated they were responsible for dismembering the body—a claim they could not appeal due to the acquittal. Both lost their medical licenses and saw their lives unravel; Härm has lived in near-total isolation for 40 years.

After SVT’s Dokument inifrån: Det svenska styckmordet revealed weak evidence against the doctors, lawyers Thomas Olsson and Filip Rydin reviewed case files and past retrial attempts. They now plan to submit an ex gratia application—a discretionary government payout—within weeks, as a formal retrial is deemed impossible.

“We have a final meeting next week. Then it should be ready,” Olsson told SVT. Former Justice Minister Morgan Johansson (S) has called the case “the worst miscarriage of justice in Swedish history,” urging state compensation. Current Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer declined to comment until an application is received.

The ex gratia model was previously used in the so-called Kevin case, where two brothers wrongly convicted of murder as children received 1 million SEK each and a state apology in 2022.

SVT’s follow-up documentary airs April 8 at 20:00 on SVT1 and SVT Play.