Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Fotbollsvåld - En studie om ansvarsfrihet för våldshandlingar vid fotbollsutövning

Kronholm, Erik LU (2021) LAGF03 20211
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract (Swedish)
Vid fotbollsutövande utsätts deltagarna regelbundet för våld som skulle kunna bedömas som t.ex. misshandel och ofredande. De straffbelagda handlingarna som vidtas under fotbollutövning är emellertid i regel att anse som tillåtna. Den här studien syftar till att utreda var gränsen går för tillåten respektive otillåten våldsgärning under fotbollsutövning. Dessutom besvaras frågan varför våld som begås under idrottsutövning i allmänhet tenderar att särbehandlas gentemot övrigt våld i samhället.

Inom ramen för idrott finns ett utrymme att under hänvisning till samtycke godta t.ex. svårare misshandel än vad som i allmänhet accepteras. Gränsdragningen mot otillåten våldsanvändning är svår att dra, och handlingen måste alltid bedömas... (More)
Vid fotbollsutövande utsätts deltagarna regelbundet för våld som skulle kunna bedömas som t.ex. misshandel och ofredande. De straffbelagda handlingarna som vidtas under fotbollutövning är emellertid i regel att anse som tillåtna. Den här studien syftar till att utreda var gränsen går för tillåten respektive otillåten våldsgärning under fotbollsutövning. Dessutom besvaras frågan varför våld som begås under idrottsutövning i allmänhet tenderar att särbehandlas gentemot övrigt våld i samhället.

Inom ramen för idrott finns ett utrymme att under hänvisning till samtycke godta t.ex. svårare misshandel än vad som i allmänhet accepteras. Gränsdragningen mot otillåten våldsanvändning är svår att dra, och handlingen måste alltid bedömas kontextuellt. Övergripande kan sägas att ju närmre handlingen ligger den aktuella idrottens idé, desto större är möjligheten att gärningen är tillåten.

Det räcker emellertid inte att hänvisa till ett giltigt samtycke när det blir fråga om grövre våld eftersom de deltagande spelarna knappast har samtyckt till sådant våld. För att ansvar inte ska utkrävas för agerande som går utöver vad deltagarna har samtyckt till behöver idrotten generellt, och fotbollen specifikt, förklara ansvarsfriheten på ett annat sätt.

Högsta domstolen kom under år 2018 med ett prejudikat som klargjorde gällande rätt på idrottens område. HD menar att tillåtligheten beträffande gärningar som företas inom ramen för spelet grundas på en särskild för idrotten skapad undantagsregel, som bygger på det samhälleliga intresset av att idrottsutövning företas. HD benämner den oskrivna undantagsregeln som social adekvans.

Utöver HD:s prejudikat framställs och analyseras hur underrätterna har bedömt fotbollsvåld i rättspraxis. De omständigheter som är relevanta att beakta vid bedömning av tillåtlighet är bl.a. huruvida det är fråga om organiserad eller oorganiserad fotbollsutövning och gärningens koppling till spelet, d.v.s. var på planen våldet är förövat och om spelet var avblåst vid gärningstillfället. Däremot kan ett uppsåtligt orsakande av allvarlig skada aldrig anses ligga inom ramen för spelet. Beträffande sådana gärningar saknas det utrymme att bedöma dem som tillåtna.

Studien klargör de yttre ramar och omständigheter som styr bedömningen av fotbollsvåld. Mest troligt kommer rättstillämpningen för fotbollsutövare bli mer förutsägbar och rättssäker i framtiden. Svårigheten för rättssystemet blir att avgöra vilka gärningar som ska rymmas inom ramen för spelet. Både samhället och fotbollen utvecklas kontinuerligt, vilket medför vissa gränsdragningsproblem framöver. (Less)
Abstract
During the practice of football, the players are regularly subjected to violent acts that could constitute e.g., assault or molestation. These acts, committed during the exercise of football, which fulfils the requirements of a crime, could be free from liability. This essay aims to examine when such an act constitutes a crime and when such an act is exempted from liability. Further the essay seeks to answer the question why violent acts during football is to be treated differently compared to other violent acts in society.

Within the framework of sports, with the consent from other participants, an act of violence could be considered lawful to a further extent that normal. The thin line between admissibility and responsibility is hard... (More)
During the practice of football, the players are regularly subjected to violent acts that could constitute e.g., assault or molestation. These acts, committed during the exercise of football, which fulfils the requirements of a crime, could be free from liability. This essay aims to examine when such an act constitutes a crime and when such an act is exempted from liability. Further the essay seeks to answer the question why violent acts during football is to be treated differently compared to other violent acts in society.

Within the framework of sports, with the consent from other participants, an act of violence could be considered lawful to a further extent that normal. The thin line between admissibility and responsibility is hard to draw, and the act of violence needs to be put into context. Generally speaking, a violent act is more likely to be seen as allowed if it’s consistent with the idea of the sport in question.

When an act of violence gets violent to a certain grosser extent, the rule of consent is not enough to explain why the act is free from legal responsibility, since the players hardly would have given consent to such violent acts. In order to not cause an offence for this grosser violence, sports in general, and football in particular needs to explain exemption from liability by different means.

During 2018 the Supreme Court of Sweden came with a precedent regarding criminal responsibility for an act of violence committed during the practice of sports. The Supreme Court cites that those acts of violence that are committed during the exercise of sports are lawful, if they are performed within the frames of the game. This is due to the overall positive effect sports has on society. The court named the rule as social adequacy.

Beyond the precedent, this essay presents and analyzes court decisions on the subject made by lower courts. There are some factors that are relevant to consider in the assessment whether an act on violence is illegal or not. These factors could be whether the practice of the sport is organized or not, and also if the violent act is closely connected to the game, or if the act is committed when the game is paused or far away from the ball. However, intentional cause of serious injury can never be within the frames of a sport.

The study clarifies the outer framework and circumstances which governs the assessment of sport violence. Most likely, the application of law will be more predictable and certain for athletes in the future. The difficult task for the judiciary is to decide which violent acts that will fall within the frames. Both society and football are constantly evolving, which entails certain problems in the future. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Kronholm, Erik LU
supervisor
organization
course
LAGF03 20211
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
straffrätt, criminal law, fotboll, fotbollsvåld, samtycke, social adekvans
language
Swedish
id
9045916
date added to LUP
2021-06-29 16:42:16
date last changed
2021-06-29 16:42:16
@misc{9045916,
  abstract     = {{During the practice of football, the players are regularly subjected to violent acts that could constitute e.g., assault or molestation. These acts, committed during the exercise of football, which fulfils the requirements of a crime, could be free from liability. This essay aims to examine when such an act constitutes a crime and when such an act is exempted from liability. Further the essay seeks to answer the question why violent acts during football is to be treated differently compared to other violent acts in society.

Within the framework of sports, with the consent from other participants, an act of violence could be considered lawful to a further extent that normal. The thin line between admissibility and responsibility is hard to draw, and the act of violence needs to be put into context. Generally speaking, a violent act is more likely to be seen as allowed if it’s consistent with the idea of the sport in question. 

When an act of violence gets violent to a certain grosser extent, the rule of consent is not enough to explain why the act is free from legal responsibility, since the players hardly would have given consent to such violent acts. In order to not cause an offence for this grosser violence, sports in general, and football in particular needs to explain exemption from liability by different means.

During 2018 the Supreme Court of Sweden came with a precedent regarding criminal responsibility for an act of violence committed during the practice of sports. The Supreme Court cites that those acts of violence that are committed during the exercise of sports are lawful, if they are performed within the frames of the game. This is due to the overall positive effect sports has on society. The court named the rule as social adequacy.

Beyond the precedent, this essay presents and analyzes court decisions on the subject made by lower courts. There are some factors that are relevant to consider in the assessment whether an act on violence is illegal or not. These factors could be whether the practice of the sport is organized or not, and also if the violent act is closely connected to the game, or if the act is committed when the game is paused or far away from the ball. However, intentional cause of serious injury can never be within the frames of a sport.

The study clarifies the outer framework and circumstances which governs the assessment of sport violence. Most likely, the application of law will be more predictable and certain for athletes in the future. The difficult task for the judiciary is to decide which violent acts that will fall within the frames. Both society and football are constantly evolving, which entails certain problems in the future.}},
  author       = {{Kronholm, Erik}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Fotbollsvåld - En studie om ansvarsfrihet för våldshandlingar vid fotbollsutövning}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}