COURT MAKES DECISION ON HOCKEY PLAYER CHARGED WITH ASSAULT AFTER STICK-SWINGING INCIDENT

A judge in Sweden has made his decision in the case of a hockey player charged with assault following a stick-swinging incident. In January of 2022, Kid Andersson was sitting on the bench during a U20 game when an unnamed opponent swung his stick and hit him in the face. The injuries received were gruesome. Andersson had a broken jaw, lost several teeth, and would end up on a liquid diet for weeks.

Warning, the following photos are graphic




In the decision, the court has ruled that the accused, identified as "XX" in legal documents, must pay damages of just under $6500 USD. However, he has been acquitted of the assault charge. In the ruling, it was stated that XX was trying to hit a water bottle out of Andersson's hand that he had used to squirt him with water, meaning the incident was an accident. Andersson said he was attempting to take a drink and accidentally squirted water on XX's back.

"The evidence presented is therefore not sufficient to establish beyond reasonable doubt that XX acted with intent when Kid Andersson was hit by his hockey stick in the face. The prosecution is therefore not proven and XX should be acquitted," the ruling reads.

The unnamed player's lawyer agrees with the decision.

"It is absolutely right that he is acquitted. My client has said from the beginning that he wants to pay for the damages he has caused, but it was an accident and not a deliberate act."

Source: Expressen.se