A prison officer at Tidaholm has died after setting himself on fire outside the facility. The incident follows an internal investigation into the officer's conduct. The tragic event has left colleagues in shock, and support services are being activated for staff. The facility, one of Sweden's largest, is undergoing significant expansion.
Tragic Incident: Prison Officer Dies After Self-Immolation at Tidaholm Facility
Tragic Incident: Prison Officer Dies After Self-Immolation at Tidaholm Facility
A prison officer has died after severely injuring himself outside the Tidaholm facility. The man, who was recently under internal investigation at his workplace, set himself on fire, reports Expressen.
"We are saddened and shocked by what has happened," says facility chief Björn Wäring.
SOS Alarm received a report of an incident outside the Tidaholm facility just before 7 PM on Monday. A man, employed at the facility, had set himself on fire, according to Expressen.
The man succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday.
"We can unfortunately confirm that at 1 PM today, our colleague passed away at the university hospital in Linköping due to his severe injuries. We are saddened and shocked by what has happened, and our thoughts are with our colleague's family, relatives, and friends," says acting prison director Björn Wäring at Tidaholm in a press release.
Kristina Granqvist from the Prison Service's communications department announces that the next of kin have been informed and that the Prison Service's staff support will be activated. This includes counseling and crisis support.
Subject of Internal Investigation
The man was recently the subject of an internal investigation within the Prison Service, reports Expressen.
"Yesterday, late in the afternoon, a prison employee seriously injured himself after the workday ended outside the Tidaholm facility. An ambulance was called, and the employee was taken to the hospital," says Monica Bergström from the Prison Service's press service.
The police are not investigating the incident and refer to the healthcare services.
"We have a suicide case in Tidaholm, Monday at 6:53 PM. The police are not handling this, it is not a crime," says Fredrik Svedemyr, spokesperson for the police region West.
Major Expansion
The Tidaholm facility includes both a class 1 prison—the highest security class—and a detention center. The facility is one of Sweden's largest, offering vocational training and other studies.
Since 2021, Tidaholm has been undergoing extensive reconstruction. The number of places is being tripled in stages from around 200 to nearly 600. At the same time, the staff is being doubled.
When everything is fully completed around 2030, the facility will have 591 places and approximately 400 employees, according to the Prison Service.