Swedish doctor sentenced to 10 years for abducting woman

A Swedish doctor, who abducted a woman and kept her locked up in a bunker for almost a week was sentenced on Tuesday to 10 years in prison but was acquitted of aggravated rape because of lack of proof.

In a unanimous verdict, the Stockholm District Court found Martin Trenneborg, 38, guilty of meticulously planning the woman's abduction over a long period of time and of subjecting the victim to serious risk by sedating her and keeping her locked up in a soundproofed bunker he built inside a machine shed next to his home.

The woman, who was not named, passed out after he gave her chocolate-coated strawberries laced with Rohypnol, also known as a "date-rape drug," before taking her to the bunker.

Trenneborg, who had admitted to keeping the woman locked in the bunker, claimed he suffered a mental disorder at the time. He denied having kidnapped her or having raped her. The court said it found insufficient evidence beyond reasonable doubt that he had subjected the victim to sexual intercourse when she was sedated.

The court said it based its verdict on the victim's description of what happened and extensive documentary evidence, and said that it found no mitigating circumstances. It described the doctor's mental disorder as "not serious," adding that it had not affected the verdict.

Trenneborg was ordered to pay 180,000 kronor ($21,000) in damages to the woman.