Two Swedish municipalities hired a 61-year-old man with a Hells Angels background as a foster home for a teenage boy, despite knowing about his motorcycle gang ties. During the placement, the man is suspected of selling his wife to sex buyers. The placement ended quickly following an assault report.
A 61-year-old man, former leader of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, was hired by two Swedish municipalities as a foster home in 2024. Söderhamn municipality confirms they knew of his ties to motorcycle culture but proceeded with placing a 15-year-old boy based on conducted checks, including references from a previous placement municipality.
The man was convicted in 2006 for assaulting a former partner, but the conviction had been expunged and did not appear in the criminal record check. Responsible operations manager Tereza Vanova Benke defends the decision: 'Based on the checks we are required to perform and which we did, no information emerges that would justify a different assessment regarding the placement.'
During the approximately two weeks the boy lived with the couple, the man is suspected of gross pimping, with over 120 men suspected of buying sex from his wife in Kramfors. The woman described the man's 'specialty is helping teenage boys/men who have gone astray.' The placement ended after the woman reported the man for assault, and police filed a concern report. The boy was immediately re-placed, and there are no suspicions that he was subjected to any crime.
This is not the first time Söderhamn's social services have come under scrutiny. In 2025, a placement was stopped at the last minute due to links to a convicted gang criminal. Vanova Benke emphasizes that the municipality follows clear routines: 'We have no structural deficiencies in our placements. We have clear routines and processes that we follow for each placement.' Prosecution in the pimping case is expected in March.
