Swedish authorities have launched a hate crime investigation following the discovery of a dead wild boar outside a mosque in southern Sweden early Wednesday morning. The incident occurred at the Skövde mosque, where surveillance footage captured an unidentified individual throwing the animal at the building’s facade.
In an official statement, police detailed that the act is currently classified as agitation against an ethnic group, with the potential for additional charges as the investigation progresses. “The mosque had a pig thrown at its facade,” the police reported on their website, emphasising the severity and provocative nature of the incident.
Smajo Sahat, head of the foundation managing the mosque, provided further details. “I arrived this morning and saw the dead animal. It was later confirmed to be a wild boar,” Sahat stated. He explained that the perpetrator arrived by car and hurled the boar at the mosque before fleeing the scene, all of which was recorded by security cameras.
Despite the unsettling nature of the act, Sahat noted that the mosque had not received any recent threats. “The reason behind this act is unclear, and we can only speculate on the motivations,” he said. The mosque, which has been operational for about a year, serves approximately 1,000 members of the local Muslim community.
The incident has sparked concern among the mosque’s members and the broader community, highlighting ongoing issues of hate crimes and ethnic tensions. Authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward as they continue to review the surveillance footage and pursue leads.