[Faline]

He was once one of Sweden’s most feared prisoners.

Sture Bergwall confessed to murdering 30 people and told police that he was a cannibal who had killed children, couples and a student in a reign of terror in the 1970s and 80s.

But now, aged 63, he is set to be freed after 20 years behind bars - after it emerged he didn’t kill anyone.

Bergwall originally made the admissions as he was held in a mental hospital after committing an armed robbery.

He was then convicted of eight murders in trials between 1994 and 2001.

But five years ago Bergall withdrew his confessions and said he had only admitted to them to get attention and because of the heavy duty medical drugs he was on at the time.

As there was no forensic or witness statements he was granted retrials on all the cases and this week prosecutors dropped the final murder charge after reviewing the evidence.

After hearing the news Bergwall wrote on his blog: “Today is a day of joy and a day of reflection” and he asked for a commission to be set up to identify those responsible for “things going so wrong”.

On Wednesday the authorities dropped the final case against him about one of Sweden’s longest running murder cases on the death of a 15-year-old boy who disappeared in 1976.

The remains of Charles Zelmanovits were found in 1993 but a forensic examination failed to prove he was murdered.

Already a convicted sex offender, Bergwall suddenly began admitting to the crimes when he was held in a psychiatric institution in 1993.

During counselling sessions there he confessed to eight murders from 1976 until 1988, as well as more than 20 others in Sweden, Norway and Finland for which he was not tried.

He often described in graphic detail how he butchered his victims and how in at least one case he ate body parts.

After his retraction he said that he only did it to get attention and had researched the unsolved cases in the hospital’s library.

He is still being held in a mental institution for his original bank raid but he will now be reassessed and could be freed.

Speaking this week Prosecutor-General Anders Perklev said the confessions had not been sufficient for the convictions and that Bergwall was to be considered exonerated of the crimes.

Mr Perklev said almost all the murder cases were handled by the same “narrow circle” of police and prosecutor.

“There is a lot to indicate that those in charge of the probes had become fully convinced Sture Bergwall’s confessions were correct.

"This may have meant that circumstances pointing in the other direction were not sufficiently considered.”

Bergwell was also convicted in his late teens for molesting four children and, several years later, for stabbing a friend while under the influence of drugs.

[kellyhound]

major fuck up of justice

[Megamel29]

I can't seem to work up any pity for a child molester...

[K9Grip]

"Bergwell was also convicted in his late teens for molesting four children and, several years later, for stabbing a friend while under the influence of drugs."
Geeze, what a great guy he is. Lock him up and throw away the key. Child predators never change.

[CuriousOne]

^^^What he said. He got off easy in my opinion. He deserves far worse.

[dirty ike]

Wow and I thought our justice system was toast. You can never ever trust a child rapist--they always do it again. China deals with this vermin the best--one bullet.

[chefbob09]