Gothenburg teacher’s acquittal likely to be overturned, says criminologist

A criminologist has warned that a Gothenburg teacher acquitted of taping children’s mouths shut will likely be convicted if prosecutors appeal the case, Swedish public broadcaster SVT reports.

The teacher, who faced charges of minor assault and harassment for taping the mouths of preschool pupils and placing sticky notes on their foreheads, was cleared by Gothenburg District Court on Tuesday. The court ruled that prosecutors had failed to prove the children experienced pain or a significant violation of their personal integrity.

However, the ruling was not unanimous. The presiding judge and one lay assessor dissented, arguing the teacher should be convicted on seven counts of harassment. Criminologist Jerzy Sarnecki told SVT the split decision increases the likelihood of an appeal succeeding.

“Since it was the lay assessors who voted to acquit, there’s a strong probability the verdict won’t hold. If appealed to the court of appeal, where the majority are legally trained judges, she will likely be convicted,” Sarnecki said.

The incidents allegedly occurred during the 2024/2025 winter term. The teacher, who denies wrongdoing, was dismissed in March. Prosecutor Louise Enocksson Witting confirmed to SVT that she will appeal the ruling.

Josefin Wetter, the legal representative for the children, said the detailed dissenting opinion could strengthen grounds for an appeal. Sarnecki stressed that the acquittal does not endorse taping as a classroom discipline method, calling it “hard to imagine anyone would find this pedagogy acceptable or conducive to good school results.”