Half of the police officers who attended the Muslim Easter riots in the city of Örebro say they have experienced mental health problems following the violence that saw several officers attacked and injured.
A total of 64 police officers claim to have suffered mental health problems following the riots that took place in the Sveaparken over Easter in reaction to Danish anti-Islam activist Rasmus Paludan threatening to burn a copy of the Islamic Qur’an in the city.
“Initially, we had quite a few sick leaves, partly due to physical problems but also for… mental problems. There are a lot of thoughts and concerns, as there were many police officers who feared for their lives,” Erik Hiding, chairman of the Police Federation in the region of Bergslagen, told broadcaster SVT.
According to the broadcaster, the 64 officers reported mental health issues following the riots, including problems with anxiety, difficulties sleeping, and difficulties eating.
A total of 135 officers were present during the riots in Sveaparketm and 50 officers were forced to seek medical treatment due to the violence against them by the mob of rioters, with reports of officers suffering various injuries such as bone fractures, concussions, and damage to teeth after the rioters hurled rocks and other projectiles.
Last month, officers who were at the Sveaparken riots stated that they feared for their lives during the violence, with one officer saying: “I was really scared. I was absolutely convinced that I would be beaten to death if I were to fall or something like that.”
Four men were convicted of crimes relating to the riots at the end of June, accused of violence toward police and sabotaging police operations during the riots.
Two of the four men convicted were also sentenced to be deported from the country as well, as they were foreigners.
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