At least 40 cases of sexual assault and rape reportedly occurred in Sweden following two music festivals over the weekend: the country’s most popular three-day festival, Bravalla, and a free event called Putte I Parken. The BBC reports that one of the victims may have been as young as 12 years old.
Mumford & Sons, who headlined Bravalla in Norrkoping, south of the capital city of Stockholm, are among several artists who have stood in solidarity with the alleged victims and have condemned the violence against women. The group has collectively vowed to boycott the festival until Swedish authorities and festival organizers make the event safer. In a Facebook post, the group wrote:
“We’re appalled to hear what happened at the Bravalla Festival last weekend. Festivals are a celebration of music and people, a place to let go and feel safe doing so. We’re gutted by these hideous reports. We won’t play at this festival again until we’ve had assurances from the police and organisers that they’re doing something to combat what appears to be a disgustingly high rate of reported sexual violence.”
Other performers, including Swedish pop star Zara Larsson called out the perpetrators directly via her Twitter account after learning a fan had been assaulted during her set:
https://twitter.com/zaralarsson/status/748796543365328896
Translated from Swedish, that means, “For those shamelessly raping a girl in the audience, you deserve to burn in hell.”
The Bravalla festival has yet to respond regarding the assaults.
(h/t NME.com)
