The suspect in the broad daylight murder of a psychiatrist at a political event in Sweden on Wednesday was ready to attack others if he couldn't find the victim he had targeted, said Friday (July 8th). his lawyer.
The victim, Ing-Marie Wieselgren, 64, was attacked with a knife on Wednesday in the tourist town of Visby on the island of Gotland, which was hosting a gathering of high-profile Swedish politicians.
The 32-year-old suspect, who was arrested after the murder as he fled, confessed to having committed it, his lawyer Staffan Fredriksson told AFP.
"
There is no doubt that this woman, Ing-Marie, was his first target
," Fredriksson said.
His client said he "
could find someone else
" as a "
Plan B
" if he couldn't find his chosen victim.
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The suspect had not, however, established a list of names of other potential victims, according to the lawyer.
“
He wanted to make a splash.
His aim was to show his dissatisfaction with psychiatry in Sweden
,” he added.
On Thursday, prosecutor Petra Gotell said investigators were trying to find out if the perpetrator of the attack was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the murder, but Me Fredriksson assured that his client affirmed that it was not the case.
According to the lawyer, the suspect, who has "
psychological problems
and the victim had no personal relationships prior to the attack.
The psychiatrist worked as a coordinator with the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions.
On Friday, the Gotland District Court remanded the man into custody.
The murder was committed during an annual event gathering the political elite in Visby, where political parties often present their programs and launch election campaigns.
According to the prosecutor, the suspect obviously acted alone and there is no apparent link between his act and the neo-Nazi group NMR with which he was, according to Swedish media, in contact in the past.