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Villfarelse, skuld & samurajsvärd – En uppsats om den svenska putativmodellen

Hansson, Adam LU (2023) LAGF03 20231
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
A situation where a person committed a criminal act due to a misperception of reality is called a putative situation. Putative situations may occur, for example, when someone mistakenly thought they were being attacked and therefore defended themselves, or when someone smashed a car window because they mistakenly thought a dog was trapped in the hot car. Each justifying circumstance can be linked to a putative situation, as can the excusing circumstance of excess. The Swedish model for dealing with a putative situation is based on the older doctrine and correction, which means that the justifying circumstances should be read into the article of prohibition. According to the principle of coverage, this is the technically logical solution,... (More)
A situation where a person committed a criminal act due to a misperception of reality is called a putative situation. Putative situations may occur, for example, when someone mistakenly thought they were being attacked and therefore defended themselves, or when someone smashed a car window because they mistakenly thought a dog was trapped in the hot car. Each justifying circumstance can be linked to a putative situation, as can the excusing circumstance of excess. The Swedish model for dealing with a putative situation is based on the older doctrine and correction, which means that the justifying circumstances should be read into the article of prohibition. According to the principle of coverage, this is the technically logical solution, but its shortcomings are debatable. Some argue that it results in too easy an exemption from liability, especially for persons who were negligent in the creation of the delusion.

Questions concerning responsibility and guilt involve both the principle of conformity and the principle of guilt. When assessing subjective circumstances, such as the guilt of a person in a situation, evidential difficulties often arise. Especially in situations where even the objective circumstances are uncertain. In the Samurai case (NJA 2012 p 45), neither of the two people present, the offender or the victim, remembered the decisive segments of the course of events. The perpetrator was confirmed to be mentally disturbed at the time of the crime and his only explanation, for why he impulsively attacked his girlfriend with a samurai sword, was that he thought he was being attacked by something himself. The situation was thus a case of putative self-defense. Although his action constituted a serious crime, it is possible to discuss whether he as a person should be blamed, considering the principles of guilt and conformity.

The Swedish putative model is based on these, in Swedish, fundamental principles of guilt and responsibility. However, when balancing interests, other purposes may need to be given priority. Changing the theoretical set-up of the model is, however, inappropriate. This considering the principles and the restrictive assessment by the courts when applying the model. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
En situation där en person begick en brottslig handling, på grund av att hen missuppfattade verkligheten, kallas för putativsituation. Putativsituationer kan förekomma, till exempel, när någon felaktigt trodde att hen blev attackerad och därför försvarade sig, eller när någon krossade ett bilfönster för att hen felaktigt trodde att en hund var instängd i den varma bilen. Varje rättfärdigande omständighet kan kopplas samman med en putativsituation, och även den ursäktande omständigheten excess. Den svenska straffrättsliga modellen för att hantera en putativsituation bygger på den äldre läran och korrigering, vilket innebär att de rättfärdigande omständigheterna ska läsas in i straffbudet. Enligt täckningsprincipen är detta den tekniskt sett... (More)
En situation där en person begick en brottslig handling, på grund av att hen missuppfattade verkligheten, kallas för putativsituation. Putativsituationer kan förekomma, till exempel, när någon felaktigt trodde att hen blev attackerad och därför försvarade sig, eller när någon krossade ett bilfönster för att hen felaktigt trodde att en hund var instängd i den varma bilen. Varje rättfärdigande omständighet kan kopplas samman med en putativsituation, och även den ursäktande omständigheten excess. Den svenska straffrättsliga modellen för att hantera en putativsituation bygger på den äldre läran och korrigering, vilket innebär att de rättfärdigande omständigheterna ska läsas in i straffbudet. Enligt täckningsprincipen är detta den tekniskt sett logiska lösningen, men modellens brister går att diskutera. Somliga menar att den medför en för lättåtkomlig ansvarsfrihet, särskilt för personer som agerat oaktsamt i uppkomsten av sin villfarelse.

Frågor som berör ansvar och skuld aktualiserar både konformitetsprincipen och skuldprincipen. Vid bedömning av subjektiva omständigheter, såsom en persons skuld i en situation, uppstår ofta bevissvårigheter. Särskilt i situationer där även de objektiva omständigheterna är osäkra. I samurajfallet (NJA 2012 s 45) mindes ingen av de två närvarande, gärningsmannen och brottsoffret, de avgörande segmenten av händelseförloppet. Gärningsmannen var konstaterat psykiskt störd i gärningsögonblicket och hans enda förklaring, till varför han impulsivt attackerade flickvännen med ett samurajsvärd, var att han trodde att han själv blev attackerad av något. I situationen förelåg alltså putativt nödvärn. Hans gärning utgjorde visserligen ett grovt brott, men det går att diskutera om han som person ska klandras, med hänsyn till skuld- och konformitetsprincipen.

Den svenska putativmodellen bygger på dessa, i svensk rätt, grundläggande principer om skuld och ansvar. Vid en intresseavvägning kan dock andra ändamål behöva ges företräde. Att ändra den teoretiska uppsättningen av modellen är däremot otillbörligt. Detta med hänsyn till principerna och domstolens restriktiva bedömning vid tillämpning av modellen. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Hansson, Adam LU
supervisor
organization
course
LAGF03 20231
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
straffrätt, criminal law, skuld, putativ, villfarelse, rättfärdigande omständigheter
language
Swedish
id
9116540
date added to LUP
2023-06-29 13:22:55
date last changed
2023-06-29 13:22:55
@misc{9116540,
  abstract     = {{A situation where a person committed a criminal act due to a misperception of reality is called a putative situation. Putative situations may occur, for example, when someone mistakenly thought they were being attacked and therefore defended themselves, or when someone smashed a car window because they mistakenly thought a dog was trapped in the hot car. Each justifying circumstance can be linked to a putative situation, as can the excusing circumstance of excess. The Swedish model for dealing with a putative situation is based on the older doctrine and correction, which means that the justifying circumstances should be read into the article of prohibition. According to the principle of coverage, this is the technically logical solution, but its shortcomings are debatable. Some argue that it results in too easy an exemption from liability, especially for persons who were negligent in the creation of the delusion. 

Questions concerning responsibility and guilt involve both the principle of conformity and the principle of guilt. When assessing subjective circumstances, such as the guilt of a person in a situation, evidential difficulties often arise. Especially in situations where even the objective circumstances are uncertain. In the Samurai case (NJA 2012 p 45), neither of the two people present, the offender or the victim, remembered the decisive segments of the course of events. The perpetrator was confirmed to be mentally disturbed at the time of the crime and his only explanation, for why he impulsively attacked his girlfriend with a samurai sword, was that he thought he was being attacked by something himself. The situation was thus a case of putative self-defense. Although his action constituted a serious crime, it is possible to discuss whether he as a person should be blamed, considering the principles of guilt and conformity.

The Swedish putative model is based on these, in Swedish, fundamental principles of guilt and responsibility. However, when balancing interests, other purposes may need to be given priority. Changing the theoretical set-up of the model is, however, inappropriate. This considering the principles and the restrictive assessment by the courts when applying the model.}},
  author       = {{Hansson, Adam}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Villfarelse, skuld & samurajsvärd – En uppsats om den svenska putativmodellen}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}