A prosecutor has opened an investigation into false alarm after rumors of threats led to the closure of around 20 schools in Borlänge on April 22. A boy previously suspected is innocent, the prosecutor said.
The investigation concerns the deliberate spread of false information that triggered a major security operation. Prosecutor Joel Henning said there are details that appear problematic.
The boy was reported missing on April 21. Rumors spread quickly and caused the schools to close the next day.
Henning stressed the difference between concern and deliberate misleading. People who merely pass on a rumor do not commit a crime, he said.
The penalty for false alarm can be fines or imprisonment if someone is convicted.