Dan Josefsson has much to share. Is it a need, or just a passion for what he does?
The white coffee cup on the table has been untouched for a long time. Suddenly, he lifts his arm and glances quickly at his watch, he has time to keep.
Then, just when I think my time is over, Dan starts again.
I’m not trying to push through any fanciful stories about any court cases. I’m very meticulous, as it’s turned out. So now I have quite a lot of credibility. I was right in the Quick case, and I was right in the Kevin case, why the hell would I come up with a fantasy based on some general belief that can’t be substantiated in the da Costa case?
No, why would he? Dan Josefsson’s investigations of controversial cases have made an impact and established him as a credible voice for the people. Something he has noticed himself.
It’s like what I’m saying is sinking in and having an effect
A textbook that puzzles
Dan applied to the journalism program in Stockholm in 1992. He was 28 years old, socially engaged but otherwise had no stated journalistic preferences.
Many of my classmates had written a little, in local newspapers and reviews, but I had never written a line.
It was at the university that Dan first came across Hanna Olsson’s book about the da Costa case.
Dan smiles slightly, remembering the absurdity with a mix of surprise and apology.
Why did I read that book, I couldn’t understand it. But then I realized it was at the journalism school because it was recommended reading for the reporting course.
A book, a turning point
Dan had no reason to doubt Hanna Olsson’s assertions when he encountered Per Lindeberg’s book about the da Costa case, “Death is a man”, in which the two doctors were portrayed as wrongly convicted.
I belonged to a loose left where it was obvious that Hanna Olsson was a hero
Dan shakes his head slightly, clearly impressed by the extensive and well-written book.
I changed my opinion so much that I became damn sceptical of all the conclusions that had been drawn.
When Dan Josefsson seriously starts digging into the da Costa case 2018, he enlists the help of the person who made him change his mind.
Dan smiles when he thinks about the extensive material, he gained access to.
So, I checked out all that stuff. I had to drive it twice in a station wagon to get it home. Then I sat for two months reading and scanning it.
When the media frenzy subsides
Dan Josefsson’s SVT documentary was never met with the massive criticism that Per Lindeberg’s book had to endure.
People, including Hanna Olsson, had, according to Dan, “given a damn that the two doctors were guilty”.
I think she feels it’s very difficult to push anything now. People get it. She’s simply not credible.
Dan finishes, and perhaps a guilty conscience weighs on him. That he was part of the media frenzy he now despises. The forces that, according to him, were the reason the two doctors’ lives were destroyed.
I’m going to write an article about her book, to explain what is wrong with it. Why so many, including myself, because I had no objections, were deceived by her.
Biography
- Aftonbladets förlorade heder, 1999
- Mannen som slutade ljuga: Berättelsen om Sture Bergwall och kvinnan som skapade Thomas Quick, 2013
- Kevin Fallet, 2017
- Det svenska styckmordet, 2024