Court Orders Mental Care for Lindh Killer

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040708/wl_nm/sweden_lindh_dc_3

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden\'s High Court on Thursday ordered the convicted murderer of Foreign Minister Anna Lindh to be moved to a secure psychiatric unit, saying there was overwhelming evidence he suffered from a mental disorder.

   

The court ruling canceled the life imprisonment sentence imposed on 26-year-old Mijailo Mijailovic by a lower court in March. It did not say how long Mijailovic should stay in a mental institution.


Mijailovic had admitted stabbing Lindh in a department store in central Stockholm in September but denied intent to kill.


The court said Mijailovic had acted on an impulse when he attacked Lindh.


"No motive for the deed has emerged and in the opinion of the high court it is also unclear to what extent the deed was planned," the court said.


After hearing testimony from psychiatrists who carried out mental checks before the first trial and others who conducted tests before the appeal, the court concluded there was "massive support for the assessment that Maijailo Mijailovic is suffering from a psychiatric disorder."


The slaying of the popular politician in front of several witnesses shocked a nation where top political figures rarely had bodyguards despite the 1986 assassination of Prime Minister Olof Palme by a lone gunman who has yet to be found.


"The high court assumes the attack (on Lindh) was some kind of impulsive act," the court said in its ruling.


The prosecution had argued Mijailovic had been watching Lindh for several minutes before the attack and had had time to plan it. The prosecution demanded life imprisonment for murder -- the severest penalty under Swedish law.


The high court\'s ruling is a victory for Mijailovic\'s defense lawyer Peter Althin, who launched the appeal.


Althin arranged for a new team of psychiatrists to examine Mijailovic\'s state of mind after initial mental checks had found his client sane enough to go to jail.


Lindh, a 46-year-old mother of two, was widely tipped before her death as Sweden\'s next prime minister.


The high court\'s verdict can be appealed to Sweden\'s Supreme Court by August 5.


Neither prosecutors nor Althin were immediately available for comment. Justice Minister Thomas Bodstrom declined to comment.

:rolleyes:

Yay, the people are going to riot over this.

Woo Hoo!  Open season on politicians in Sweden!  

Don\'t you guys have some kind of Jack Ruby lurking around that can cap this guy while he\'s being transferred to the hospital?

[Kurt Angle]

While he is in hospital maybe a doctor should acidentally slip and cut off his testicles with a scalpel.

[Titan]

Or overdose on his medication.

[GmanJoe]

Or send him to Texas for medical help. I\'ll accidentally put a needle into his jugular if ya pay me enough, fastson.

[Titan]

I think the Texas judicial system will take care of that

Gmanjoe: Maybe I can forward the offer to Anna\'s husband?

Anyway, I hope they appeal. It seems all you need to do to avoid prison is claim you have heard "voices". :rolleyes:

Why cant he get prison AND treatment if he needs it so damn bad?