Case No. B 4003-14 – L.I. v. B.B.

A woman, L.I., suffered extensive injuries from being dropped from her balcony by her husband, B.B. From text messages between the parties during the night of the event, it was clear that L.I. was upset about something B.B. had done and it was clear that L.I. did not want B.B. to return to the apartment. The Supreme Court stated that in criminal cases, the prosecutor has the burden of proof. For conviction, it must be proven beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant has committed the crime for which he is prosecuted, which is normally difficult in these types of cases. L.I.’s memory of that night was incomplete but she remembered that B.B. had carried her to the balcony. Neighbors’ testimonies, the text messages, technical and forensic evidence all supported L.I’s testimony about the event. The Court ruled that it was proven beyond reasonable doubt that B.B. was guilty of attempted murder, for which he was sentenced to 14 years in prison. This case has become a landmark decision in Sweden regarding the evaluation of evidence in so-called “balcony cases.”