One insurance company (Folksam) where two of the convicts had their insurances has stated that it has decided to compensate those who lost someone with 2500 dollars and the survivors with 12500 dollars. The compensation for those who were injured badly will be examined on an individual level.

2000-11-14: The Crime's Victims Authority is ready to pay out the same compensation as the insurance companies to those who have suffered but had not an insurance.

The swedish association of crisis and catastrophe's psychological effects has given an award (about 500 dollars) to Iraj Parsifar since he "has in quiet made extraordinary efforts to support and help the youngsters after the disaster". He himself has decided to share the award between BOA and the memorial garden.

The School Department releases today a book called "Ready for the incomprehensible". It is based on a report about how the schools, which were the working places that were affected most, handled the crisis after the disaster. The school had to stand for the safety and confidence when everything else was in chaos. The book will be distributed to all schools around the country.

The administration of cemeteries in Göteborg has because of principle reasons rejected the request of some of the families who want to build simple stone arrangements on their childrens graves.

Abby Peterson, research professor (at Göteborg's university) has put together a report on how the society handled the trials. The book of law set the frame for the punishment which could be given and many of those who have suffered felt that the penalty prescribed by law did not correspond to the grade of the crime. This problem was softened by the lawyers of the case owners who tried to explain the juridical complexity to their clients. Another conflict was raised when the former chiarman of Boa, Leo Papini protested against the trials being held in three different rooms. The extremely bad trasmission of the picture from the main room to the other rooms, caused also irritations but the problem was resolved rather quickly. The way of how the police handled the trials was positive. The fact that the court gradually let more interpreters, support personnel and relatives get into the relatives room was also good. Another positive thing was when the case owners were allowed some emotional freedom when keeping their speeches to the court. His conclusion is the the process has had an integrating effect on all parts.

2000-12-07: Others will now benefit from the successful methods used by the police and the prosecutors during the fire investigation. "our way of work will be used in the education of both police and prosecutors. Several seminars are planned for the next year. The initiative comes from the state prosecutor. He wants to reuse our experience, approach and how the material was presented during the trial" says the chief prosecutor Ulf Norén. The group stood still several times. "It was many adrenaline storms on the way" remembers the chamber prosecutor Kristina Ehrenborg Staffas. One of these occured during the loaded days in Febraury this year when one of the convicts started to talk.

On friday, the 11:th of Febraury, the interrogation leader Zed Bjälldal took in the youngest one of them (D19) for asking concrete questions in order to clear out some confusing informations that had been given before about for example which trams and at what time. During the hearing, D19 thought that the others have confessed and therefore began to tell how the fire was started and who that were involved. Almost at he same time the interrogation leader Harriet Persson hold another hearing with C19 and the chief prosecutor presented there the wording that the group had worked on together "One of those, who were there when the fire was started, has now given a complete report to the police". The reason for that formulation was to make him think that one of the others in custody (A21 or B19) had done that since they were his companions and he did not know that D19 was also in custody now.

On sunday the 13:th, D19 is put under arrest and a new interrogation is held with C19, who is informed that four persons are now kept in custody for the fire. In the hearing, the day after, he has understood that the game is lost and while sweating he demands to be allowed to speak with A21 and B19 (who he thinks is the one who has talked) so that the story-telling can get faster after that. On tuesday the 15:th, C19 talks in a video studio and urges to his companions to put the cards on the table. After that another interrogation is held where he tells that he does not know if there were one or two but he was one of them who set fire. The time is then just before 14 o'clock.

It took 3 minutes and 38 seconds from the first call from the party until the first rescue team was sent out. The reason was that it was very difficult for the operator to hear what was said or the address where there was a fire. "I want to claim that we didn't delay it. We must know the address and there was a huge noise in the premises when the call was made." said Jacobsson. After the arrival of the first rescue vehicle, further help were asked for, which came after 15 minutes. The request was not made in a professional manner by using technical terms. The request was as "It goes to hell, send everything that you have!". For the leading center it was difficult to get impression from the place of the fire.

"15 minutes, it is a long time. Could we have saved more people? It is the question that has followed us these two years. But we couldn' have saved more people. The smoke-helmeted firemen who got inside said that there were no room for other firemen. Doctors said that it was enough to take two or three breaths in there, to get intoxicated by the smoke" he said. The rescue services has now presented about one hundred suggestions on what that can be improved, amongst other things they will test the issue of alarming so that people will only need to talk with one operator instead of telling the same to two different operators.

2000-12-21: Ulf Nilsson has reviewed all the reports and studies that have been done regarding the disaster. There are about 30 studies and 20 of them are finished. He has presented his findings to the defence minister Björn von Sydow. Nilsson considered amongst other things that "The state must get better on a central level in taking advantage of the knowledge and the experiences that huge disasters give. This is the most important conclusion. My impression is however that most things worked pretty well, specially concerning the city's efforts after the disaster. In the city areas which were concerned, there was a working network among politicians, organisations, associations and citizens. It was a great help".

2000-12-25: Someone has desecrated two of the graves during the night before christmas. This someone has even tried to write the word "crap" in spanish but has spelled it wrong. The graves of Yesmin and Gustavo have been vandalized before on the 6:th of june and 30:th of november last year and this is the third time. Imagine how the grave-desecrater's parents must be proud of what has become of their child, who probably has felt like a little crap since birth but now has become such a big crap that can sign his work with his middle-name.

2001-01-11: Aftonbladet has exposed some news about the parliament's member from Malmö who represents a conservative political party (In July 1999, he had asked the state attorney to re-examine the chief prosecutor’s decision on dropping the charges against the four youngsters who arranged the party, and amongst other things mentioned their immigrant background and considered that the decision could lead to that other arrangers, in the future, would ignore the rules). The newspaper has found that he has ignored the rules for the parliament's credit cards and has not sent in any receipts for his own purchases during the last four years. All members of the parliament are reminded about the rules in a letter that is sent to them every month and there are always some members from almost all political parties (regardless to the political origin) that ignore the rules.

2001-01-12: Lars Lilled, in charge of the City's support-efforts after this disaster and Claes Lind, psychologist and operative responsible for disasters at the University Hospital of Sahlgrenska in Göteborg, have been attending several meetings with team of crisis and representatives of the catholic school in Volendam in Holland which suffered of a fire disaster right after the midnight on new year's evening. The fire started on the third floor in a coffee bar where almost 700 persons, mostly youngsters, had gathered. The losses in that little town with only 17000 residents was limited to 10 deceased and about 200 injured youngsters. "The number of deceased people is fewer than in Göteborg but despite that the injury scenario looks worse" says Claes Lind. Lars Lilled says regarding the afterwork there that "They are in a too early phase to talk about the strategies for the future" and that he calculates to be able to assist them more after some months. In connection with the fire disaster in Göteborg, which has about 500000 residents, experts from Norway and scotland with experience of working with crisis were contacted but now Göteborg is amongst those that have handled the crisis on a very good manner and can therefore be of help at similar situations. In a similar fire disaster in a disco in China last december 309 people also died.

Despite the urgent threats of financial cuts, the staff of Angered's high school have creative ideas about future projects. One example is the thoughts around arrangement of some conference activities and exchange of ideas with other suburb high schools. "For example regarding handling of crisis, which we indeed have experience of since the fire disaster" says the headmaster Magnus Dahlbeck, whose style of leadership has been a model even here.

2001-01-27: Jan Molin, community-debater and secretary in The Information Study about the fire disaster, writes in a debate article in Göteborgs-posten that "Two and a quarter of years have passed since the fire disaster in Hisingen (Göteborg). In all its horrible sight, it awoke, however för a moment, the people's consciousness about how the Sweden's population looks like and how deep the ethnical gaps are. It was a reason for why the government initiated an investigation already one week after the fire. The mission was to check how the information to the different ethnical groups worked, if there was a ground for the distrust against the authorities which had been mentioned and to suggest possible actions. The investigation, in which I was a secretary, was given a short time. We handed over the result to the Culture's minister in the beginning of June 1999 and came with amongst other things an analysis of the ethnical segregation and with that background made some suggestions.". The report was delivered after a while to an investigator at the departement of defence, who had the duty to make a conclusion out of all the investigations about the disaster. His conclusion was that almost everything worked pretty well. Jan Molin continues "We gave a great number of suggestions but since then nothing has happened. Was the study only a way to turn away the distrust against the authorities?".

2001-01-31: Two of those five, who have left vital information about the fire disaster, have been interviewed by Aftonbladet and say that they and their families have received threats against their lives from the companions to the four convicts. One says that he has tipped the police for the cause of humanity and that he has never made any demands on any reward. The other says that he is disappointed in police and can not get in touch with his contact there. It has not been stated whetler the Chamber court in Stockholm and TV4 will help to improve the legal routines regarding the witness-protection or if others will see to that.

He started to teach mathematics and physics in the school of Hjällbo in 1973, was nominated to Study principal in 1985, to Vice principal in 1991 and became The Headmaster of the school of Hammarkulle in 1996. He has also been the force that units all in the city part that he loves. He has however decided to leave the school at the end of April, partly because of the high burden of the work, and to make a 2-years sail trip in the world's seas with his own family. Regarding the situation in many of the suburbs, Lars says that "We are sitting on a powder magazine. The question is not if, but when, it explodes. And then we could have riots on the streets. To some of my students, the paractical experience-week is the only contact they have with ordinary swedes. The horizon for them goes by the shop mall in downtown. They have no possibility to be integrated with each others, it must be done by the community allowing them to get in".

Five persons will take part of 170000 dollars reward money."300000 was the limit. We consider that 170000 dollars is a suitable amount" explains Lars Sjöström, in charge of the Legal-secretary of the National Police Board. The chief prosecutor Ulf Norén who suggested which persons that should take part of the reward, says "If there are someones that should take part of the reward money, then it is them. My view is that we could have resolved this case even without the reward, but it caused that the whole process speeded up". Iman Shakarchi says that it is good that even this decision is now clarified. Leo Papini considers however that it took a long time before the information crawled up and it feels wrong if the money has affected them. Regarding the threats that have been made towards these witnesses, Iman says that it might come from some relatives and friends to those who have died or got injured, since they consider that it took a long time before they informed the police about what they knew.

2001-02-28: One of those two guys who were suspected on 28:th of May 1999 for the fire disaster and was kept in custody for 3 days before he was released, has been granted about 750 dollars as compensation. The suspicions against these two were dropped in February last year.

2001-03-06: Tuija Nieminen-Kristoffersson, research scientist at Lund's university has put together a report called "I was called in on the night". The assignment was given to her by the Research and development unit in West. She has interviewed 50 people with direct relations to the tradegy. Some of her conclusions are that, preparedness is important and so is the flexibility, the needs and not the resources must rule and different authorities such as politicians have a central role. Tremendous important efforts to aid were made by non-profit-making forces, private persons and associations. Even City-unit-boards which are often discussed, were a helping factor, since those who worked in the crisis-groups in each city-unit already knew many of the people who had been damaged by this disaster.

Aftonbladet's photograph Kai Rehn has received the award for the year's news-image which shows Vallon Nikq och Kustrini Spahl who were badly burned in the fire. The image was taken on the 8:th of May outside the court.

2001-04-14: The newspaper Göteborgs-posten informs that some of the survivors have been on a horseriding-camp which is hold by Gunilla and Peter Axman, who lost Sofia in the disaster. According the youngsters that were there, it is a fun and useful way for those who survived, to meet and do things together since they carry same kind of bad memories and experiences, while others who haven't suffered by this disaster, are not able to understand their situation. Many survivors have still difficulties to concentrate on school-works or to sleep for example. Danijel Gubic who was injured badly and only for some weeks ago had to amputate a finger because of the injuries, says that he has still nightmares and feels low but he hopes that one day he will be able to work with his hands again. His dream of becoming a rap-star, has been put to rest but he still writes.

After Twelve, a program from the public service radio informs that the rescue services in Göteborg has new routines for handling the alarms since some weeks ago. One has to talk only with an operator at SOS Alarm now. According to After Twelve, 3 operators were involved in the alarm call on the night of the fire. 

2001-04-16: Some of the survivors describe their experiences and feelings from and after the disaster. In the newspaper GT  they explain how they have felt since then and how they are now. Some have still nightmares and go through it all again and again.   The depression takes much longer to cure than the burn injuries, says one of the survivors and it feels good to be able to cry with someone who understands, says another. Many of them who have not talked out about their feelings, find out now that they might need to talk with someone who knows how these feelings and experiences work and can be handled. 

2001-04-28: Lejla Ejupovic has been given the honour award as "The literary diversity 2001, exhibitors prize" of the Rinkeby's book exhibition for her debut book "Inner exile". Rinkeby is a suburb to Stockholm.

2001-05-02: The National Police Board admits that it was wrong of the police to assure that the whole place was searched through and that Mona was not found there. The National Police Board considers that the parents are entitled to a compensation of about 2000 dollars for the psychical damages caused by this issue.

2001-05-04: The organization committee of disaster health care has reviewed this disaster on behalf of The national board of health and welfare and put together a report which is rather extensive and looks to this disaster from different views. It shows amongst other things that the rescue-, ambulance- and medical care staff did a very good job at the place. Despite the fact that they were few and had short resources and the situation was chaotic. The report points also out details that could have been done better. An example is the prioritization in life-saving. In many cases the staff was forced by the relatives and friends to continue the life-saving on people who already were dead in several minutes. The report says also that "Disaster Alert" must be announced immediately by all involved. Only the hospital in Kungälv (a small city near to Göteborg) did it. Financial considerations should not prevent the work of saving people. Several examples are mentioned e.g. "When the ambulance arrived to the hospital at 00.20, there was nobody who met and the gates were closed. One succeeded to open up one of them and drove into the garage. There was nobody neither. The ambulance-driver took the girl from the front-seat and carried her into the hospital. There he pushed on the bell. A nurse came forward then and he asked her to go out to the ambulance and help the other ambulance-nurse. Then it was three nurses who came running and helped and two doctors after them. They asked if more patients would be coming in and the answer was: Sure!”"

Another subject that is handled is the media’s responsibility of the reporting from the disaster. There are several example here e.g. “two boys who were carrying an injured girl, asked for help from two journalists and they came forward, took some pictures and left”.  A rescue-leader gives another example “One knows that there are sixty people lying in the inside who has to go some way. One decides to help to transport these people to a hospital on a dignified manner. The rescue-management asks the question if there is someone who wants to step off. If there is someone who is willing to help voluntarily. And one stands up and carries out all injured to the back-part of the building for further transport with some dignity to hospitals. One does it and one has a feeling for his fellow human beings. The first thing that one meets is these sneaking photographers. Why is it necessary to see those sneaking photographers in the bushes when our firemen choose an aside place so these people can have a dignified transport to the hospital? Why are they sneaking? Why isn’t there a stop?”. The report suggests that disaster- journalism and psychology should be included in the ordinary journalist education.

The newspaper GT has talked with Lars Johansson, curator at Angered's high school, who says that those with the most burn injuries, who are forced to wait in several years for the reparation, should be given some encouragement for the summer. He says that "The summer vacation is close, many of them will graduate. It feels terrible that they can't even get a little payment in advance. If it was about all the people who were there, it had been different, but now it's about most of those who were hurt most. We should not let these youngsters down.".  Lars Lilled at City of  Göteborg agrees and says that they will write a letter and inform about the possibility to receive a payment in advance that has to be repaid later when the real reparation money is paid out. Lars Boström, manager of social authority in Gunnared (in Angered) wants to see the letter first before he has any opinion. He says that "After that it's also a political question".

2001-05-14: Lars Lilled has been offered the job to lead the work of making benefits of the diversity in Göteborg. The work after the disaster has teached the city to realize the value of diversity. "We worked cross all profession borders and we worked together with the families who had suffered. The differences among the professional staff and those who suffered was a tremendous asset" says Lars.

2001-06-01: The chief inspector Leif Rundberg and the prosecutors Ulf Norén and  Kristina Ehrenborg Staffas will be given this year's prize from the Stig and Karin Cebterwall's foundation called "The golden pen". The motivation is that these three "often in contrary wind, untiring, with an assiduity which has no comparison in our country" managed to solve the puzzle of this disaster by trying all possible and impossible ways.

The report contains information about the building and how it has been built (which is interesting for investigation of the landlorads and/or tenants  resposibility for the suitability of a building as a meeting place) and different inspektions that the fire-authorities have done there during the years. There is also information about the simulations of this fire disaster that have been by fire and computer experts, notes about how the survivors witnessed the fire and how they saved themselves or were rescued and excerpt from the alarm calls, which shows that the given address was correct and complete (for every inhabitant of the earth, human being and living in Göteborg).  The report contains also suggestions of efforts to be taken in order to avoid similar situations in the future.

2001-08-22: GP writes that Claes Tornberg from the rescue services in Göteborg says to the Sweden's radio in Göteborg, that he is surprised that some of the party organizers do not seem to have learned anything from the fire disaster and it occurs still that the fire regulations are ignored by these. He asks for new and harder rules from the rescue authority, which agrees that there is a need for that but says that they have an ambition of letting this kind of questions to be handled at a local level in each town.

2001-08-25: GP informs about a study which is presented this weekend during an international conference in progress psychology at the university of  Uppsala. It shows that many of the youngsters, who experienced the disaster, still feel quite awful. Anders Broberg, research psychologist at the Queen Silvia's children and youngsters hospital  in Göteborg says that the support from family and friends was very important for the youngsters. But the most crucial reason was how they were treated at school. "The school that got the best degree of them all was the Angered's highschool, which is perhaps amazing", he says.

GT writes also about the book "Burning grief" which has been written by Regina Birkehorn, Consultant of crisis. The initiative to the book came from Peter Axman who lost his extra-dotter Sofia in the fire. Some 60 of those who have suffered are interviewed in the book, which will be available in the exhibition of Book and Library. Regina says that "I want to give knowledge of crisis on a ordinary day-basis. It's about showing the tools, which you can use, to provide help to yourself and others. Because things like this fire on Backaplan will unfortunately happen again". She says that many of those who have suffered, seek for psychologic help for the first time now but that aid is no longer available now. 

2001-10-15: GP informs that a group of parents and youngsters who suffered from this disaster will travel to Volendam in Holland in beginning of November to create contacts and exchange experiences with those who suffered from the new year's fire disaster there. The dutchs have visited Göteborg earlier this year and interviewed those who have suffered here. The TV programs with the people from Göteborg have been broadcasted at the best broadcasting time in Holland and through a national collection there, people have raised about 7 million dollars to those who suffered in Volendam. The coming visit will be during the school days to let the people visit the two high schools, where the majority of the suffering youngsters studied. During that week in Holland, people from Göteborg and Volendam have also planned to perform together and record a cd.

2001-10-26: According to the newspaper GP, a girl who has survived the disaster has been target for blackmail of a member of one of the Göteborg's kriminal gangs. This gangster is also a close relative to another survivor of the disaster. She had received about 12800 dollars as reparation money from her insurance company and she has given half of them to this mobster, to prevent him from hurting her boyfriend, who in some occasion has claimed to be a member of that gang in order to get someone's respect.  The girl who still feels threatened of that gangster, who is also involved in a murder investigation, is living now under secured identidy.

2001-10-27: Swedish Radio in Göteborg informs that the city will start a training to teach the youngsters how to organize parties. The regulations are amongst the things that youngsters will learn in order to avoid similar disasters in the future.

2001-10-28: Masoud Owji who was damaged very badly in the fire is interviewed by GP. He tells that it felt nice to come back to the school after some time in absence after the disaster and all the operations. Masoud losed one eye, the left arm and all the fingers except the tum on his right hand. He nearly losed the other eye as well but somehow it was healed and he could see again. "I have been close to death. I have seen so much that few other people have experienced. One can let it affect him or her on two ways. Good or bad" says Masoud. He tells also about his future plans, in which amongst others a woman, child and a car are part of. He also plans to make a documentary movie about th fire. It will be about five persons who suffered and the main point will be to show how they are enjoying the life now.

2001-10-29: The premises were opened informal today for the families and those youngsters who suffered. 63 youngsters threw one flower each into the small river, close to the the premises, in memory of our 63 friends. During the day and the night the memorial place was also visited by all who wanted to remember.

2001-10-30: The premises were opened officially today. Göran Johansson, the chairman of the city, handed over the premises with some flowers to Iman Shakarchi, the chairman of BOA. All the inner walls inside the premises have been removed and the small windows and the small door have been replaced. There are however some marks in the floor to demonstrate how the space was and some details have been kept intact so that the visitors can imagine how it was. The place will amongst other things be used for seminars and other educating purposes, that can remind people about what happened and teach them what to do in order to avoid similar disasters in the future.

Official reports
TV (Swedish public services TV, TV4)
Radio (Swedish public services radio)
Newspapers (Göteborgs-posten, Aftonbladet, GT/Expressen,
Metro, Arbetet, Dagens Nyheter, Svenska Dagbladet)
Web-news agency (Swedish CNN)