PM blackmailer issues rape statement

Photo: Kristinn Freyr Jörundsson

One of the two sisters arrested on suspicion of blackmailing the Icelandic Prime Minister and a second man will be pressing rape charges against the latter this morning.

Hlín Ein­ars­dótt­ir, together with her sister, Malín­ Brand, have been charged with blackmailing the second man, whose identity has yet to be confirmed by police. In a press release sent by Brand, the money handed over is described as “compensation” relating to the alleged rape.

There follows an English translation of Brand’s statement:

“On the evening of Saturday 4 April, my sister Hlín [Ein­ars­dótt­ir] telephoned me in a state of great distress and told me that she had been raped by a former colleague of hers. She was contemplating pressing charges. The man tried to contact her the next day but she refused to speak to him. I was subsequently in contact with him and expressed my anger at the incident; as far as I understood, he was more concerned with my getting my sister not to prosecute.

The following Tuesday, Hlín asked me to drive her to the emergency department for victims of sexual violence, where she was cared for and checked over. The staff there concluded from her state that she had indeed been raped. The man was concerned that a rape charge – whether he were convicted or acquitted – would seriously damage his reputation. My sister appreciated this, agreed to a compensation payment and proposed the amount. All communication went through me as my sister could not face dealing with the matter herself. As has been reported, I collected the damages for my sister and delivered the money to her. The agreement was hand-written in duplicate and signed by the man and by me, on behalf of my sister. Both parties kept their copy. The document indicated the amount paid, but was not a ‘receipt’ as such.

I should like to stress that I do not want to contribute to damaging anybodys reputation. Nobody may be convicted until the case has been fully investigated. The nature of the man’s offence is serious, as is my involvement in my sister’s offence against the Prime Minister and his family. I am very sorry to have caused them harm.”

Weather

Clear sky

Today

-2 °C

Partly cloudy

Later today

4 °C

Cloudy

Tomorrow

1 °C