Swedish criminology professor Jerzy Sarnecki claims that Sweden has seen a “sharp increase” in violent crime in recent years and the lack of resources for police could exasperate the problem.

Professor Sarnecki made the comments after five men were released from jail following a court case in which they were accused of gang rape. Police officers involved in the case were heavily criticised for the time it took them to investigate the incident which Sarnecki said was indicative of their lack of resources, Swedish broadcaster SVT reports.

“The police’s resources are extremely limited, so some cases will be allowed to lie dormant,” Sarnecki said. He added: “We have a situation where we have seen a sharp increase in very serious violent crimes. So many of the resources go to those crimes, and then the others will be prioritised.”

The men in the alleged gang rape case were let off due to the fact the police could not produce sufficient evidence to allow prosecutors to prove the woman did not have sex with the men voluntarily. “With the strained police resources we have today, these kinds of cases may increase,” Sarnecki said.

Violent crimes, especially deadly shootings, have drastically increased in Sweden over the last six years. According to the National Board of Sweden’s Cause of Death register, deadly shootings have doubled in the last nine years.

The Swedish criminal statistics agency Brå has noted a sharp increase in deadly shootings over the last year as well.

People killed in shootings in Sweden 2011–2017. pic.twitter.com/CzWTOLUWkV — Paulina Neuding (@paulinaneuding) December 21, 2017

A lack of resources for police has been evident in several cases this year. In southern Lapland, an area close to the size of Denmark, police have been limited to only one patrol car.

In no-go zones, like the heavily migrant-populated Stockholm suburbs, police presence is declining as the only police station in the Järva area is set to close due to a lack of staff.

Breitbart London reported last year that many Swedish police officers were considering quitting the force entirely due to pay disputes and dangerous work conditions. Incidents like the police station bombing in Helsingborg in October are unlikely to improve police morale.