The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets’ Nest

Gia

“It’s in place,” the judge said.

“Could we close the curtains, please?”

Gia

“Lisbeth. We’re going to look at the film. Are you ready for this?”

“I’ve lived through it,” Salander said dryly.

“And I have your approval to show it here?”

Salander nodded. She fixed her eyes on Teleborian.

“Can you tell us when the film was made?”

“On 7 March, 2003.”

“Who shot the film?”

“I did. I used a hidden camera, standard equipment at Milton Security.”

“Just one moment,” Prosecutor Ekström shouted. “This is begi

“What is it we are about to see?” Judge Iversen said with a sharp edge to his voice.

“Dr Teleborian claims that Lisbeth Salander’s account of her rape by Advokat Bjurman is a fantasy. I am going to show you evidence to the contrary. The film is ninety minutes long, but I will only show a few short excerpts. I warn you that it contains some very unpleasant scenes.”

“Is this some sort of trick?” Ekström said.

“There’s a good way to find out,” said Gia

“Haven’t you even learned to tell the time?” Advokat Bjurman greets her gruffly. The camera enters his apartment.

After nine minutes Judge Iversen banged his gavel. Advokat Bjurman was being shown violently shoving a dildo into Lisbeth Salander’s anus. Gia

“Turn off the film,” Judge Iversen said in a very loud and commanding voice.

Gia

“Advokat Gia

“Ninety minutes. The rape itself went on in stages for about five or six hours, but my client only has a vague sense of the violence inflicted upon her in the last few hours.” Gia

“Thank you, that won’t be necessary,” the judge said. “Fröken Salander…”

For a second he lost his train of thought and did not know how to proceed.

“Fröken Salander, why did you record this film?”

“Bjurman had already subjected me to one rape and was demanding more. The first time he made me suck him off, the old creep. I thought it was going to be a repeat. I thought I’d be able to get such good evidence of what he did that I could then blackmail him into staying away from me. I misjudged him.”

“But why did you go not to the police when you have such… irrefutable evidence?”

“I don’t talk to policemen,” Salander said flatly.

Palmgren stood up from his wheelchair. He supported himself by leaning on the edge of the table. His voice was very clear.

“Our client on principle does not speak to the police or to other persons of authority, and least of all to psychiatrists. The reason is simple. From the time she was a child she tried time and again to talk to police and social workers to explain that her mother was being abused by Alexander Zalachenko. The result in every instance was that she was punished because government civil servants had decided that Zalachenko was more important than she was.”

He cleared his throat and continued.

“And when she eventually concluded that nobody was listening to her, her only means of protecting her mother was to fight Zalachenko with violence. And then this bastard who calls himself a doctor” – he pointed at Teleborian – “wrote a fabricated psychiatric diagnosis which described her as mentally ill, and it gave him the opportunity to keep her in restraints at St Stefan’s for 380 days. What a bastard.”

Palmgren sat down. Judge Iversen was surprised by this outburst. He turned to Salander.

“Would you perhaps like to take a break…”

“Why?” Salander said.

“Alright, then we’ll continue. Advokat Gia

“Gladly. I too find them appalling,” said Gia

“These are outrageous accusations,” Teleborian said. “I have done my best to help Lisbeth Salander. She tried to murder her father. It’s perfectly obvious that there’s something wrong with her-”

Gia

“I would now like to bring to the attention of the court Dr Teleborian’s second forensic psychiatric assessment of my client, presented at this trial today. I maintain that it is a lie, just as the report from 1991 was a lie.”

“Well, this is simply-” Teleborian spluttered.

“Judge Iversen, could you please ask the witness to stop interrupting me?”

“Herr Teleborian…”

“I will be quiet. But these are outrageous accusations. It’s not surprising that I’m upset-”

“Herr Teleborian, please be quiet until a question is directed at you. Do go on, Advokat Gia

“This is the forensic psychiatric assessment that Dr Teleborian has presented to the court. It is based on what he has termed ‘observations’ of my client which were supposed to have taken place after she was moved to Kronoberg prison on June 5. The examination was supposed to have been concluded on July 5.”

“Yes, so I have understood,” Judge Iversen said.

“Dr Teleborian, is it the case that you did not have the opportunity to examine or observe my client before June 6? Before that she was at Sahlgrenska hospital in Göteborg, where she was being kept in isolation, as we know.”

“Yes.”

“You made attempts on two separate occasions to gain access to my client at Sahlgrenska. Both times you were denied admittance.”

Gia

“I see,” the judge said. “This appears to be a copy of Dr Teleborian’s report. What is your point?”

“I would like to call upon two witnesses. They are waiting outside the courtroom now.”

“Who are these witnesses?”

“They are Mikael Blomkvist from Mille