BEREDD – Self-Defense Under Swedish Conditions

You are reading a page at the BEREDD website. BEREDD (Eng. ”prepared”) is a resource site for self-defense in Sweden. At present, most of the information is only available in Swedish. This document is intended as a general overview of the Swedish self-defense climate for tourists and visitors.

Please note that this document does not constitute legal advice. BEREDD disclaims liability for any damages resulting from its use.

The Legal Right to Self-Defense

You have a legal right to defend yourself, your property, another person or another person’s property from an imminent or ongoing criminal act such as assault, rape, robbery, theft, trespassing etc. In so doing, you are permitted to use an amount of force that is not clearly excessive given the situation at hand. Even if you would use excessive force, the law understands that a person under attack is not capable of perfectly rational decisions. Thus, you could still be freed of all charges if the court finds that you were unable to control yourself given the circumstances. Simply put, this means that you are generally permitted to match the force with which you are attacked, and that you have a variable margin of permitted excessive violence depending on the circumstances.

Carrying and Using Weapons

You are not allowed to carry any weapon for self-defense purposes in public, overtly or covertly. However, you are of course allowed to carry everyday items that may be suitable for self defense, such as umbrellas and walking sticks. Knives are generally forbidden, though pocket knives and multi-tools are allowed if they have a justifiably non-aggressive use.

Even so, self-defense with lethal weapons such as knives and guns is generally regarded as excessive violence, regardless of the nature of the attack. Even if you are attacked by multiple opponents, defending yourself with a knife will not be permitted under most circumstances. Thus, it is best to use everyday items that do not in any way suggest a hostile intent.

Law Enforcement and Security

Swedish police officers are armed with pistols (Sig Sauer P226/P228) and expandable batons, and are clearly identifiable by their ”POLIS” markings. You may also notice uniformed security personell patrolling the Stockholm subway or as entrance hosts at clubs. These may occasionally wear batons, flashlights, handcuffs, discreet body armor etc. Do not hesitate to approach any of these if you need assistance in any way.

General Criminal Climate

Sweden has a fairly low crime rate, and Stockholm must be considered a secure capital by Europeean standards. For example, we have less than 100 deaths from criminal gun uses per year. Assault, rape and robbery are quite common place however, and improvised weapons or knives are often used in these scenarios. In general, vigilance and a minimum amount of prudent security measures goes a long way. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need more information.

Enjoy your stay!