John Hron’s autopsy photos and report have not been revealed.
In August 1995, a group of four young men, known for their ties to the neo-Nazi skinhead subculture and the militant Nazi network Vitt Ariskt Motstånd, brutally murdered 14-year-old John Hron.
Hron was camping with a friend at a lake in Kungälv municipality when the group of neo-Nazis, dressed in Nazi clothing and playing loud White Power music, approached their campsite.
Four individuals brutally beat and tortured Hron for hours, using a sadistic “cat-and-mouse” approach. They kicked, punched and even threw heavy beer cans at his face.
The group began physically and verbally abusing Hron, throwing beer cans in his face and demanding that he declare his love for Nazism.
The attack also included burning Hron with a flaming piece of wood, stomping his stomach, destroying his belongings, and setting fire to the tent he shared with Christian.
Despite pleas to be released, the attackers persisted and pushed Hron into a nearby lake while he was still alive.
Two attackers positioned themselves on the other side of the lake, ready to capture Hron if he tried to escape. The attackers threatened to kill Christian if Hron did not return to shore, prompting Hron to swim back to rescue his friend.
Hron, known for his rebellion against racism, refused and was brutally beaten for hours. The group would offer him a beer and apologize, but they continued to beat him.
They then rolled his body into the water and he drowned.
Daniel Hansson, the main perpetrator of the abuse, who was 18 years old at the time, was convicted of murder and sentenced to eight years in prison.
He was later released on January 1, 2001. Mikael Fjällholm, who was 15 years old, also received a prison sentence, an unusual punishment for convicted minors in Sweden. John Billing and BM, whose full names are not known, were jailed for ten and four months, respectively, for their involvement in the attack and failure to report the ongoing abuse and murder.
The case received national attention and led to a wave of anti-racist demonstrations in Sweden. Hron was posthumously awarded the inaugural Stig Dagerman Prize for Freedom of Speech and World Peace.
The young men involved in the murder had ties to violent extremist organizations, and some had histories of mental instability and violent behavior.
Hron’s grave has been desecrated several times by neo-Nazis and Daniel Hansson has been convicted of more crimes, including assaulting and beating his then-girlfriend.
