Rape probe to resume against Wikileaks’ founder: Prosecutor

STOCKHOLM - Online site WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange may still face rape charges in Sweden after a public prosecutor Wednesday said a probe into the allegations was to continue.

“There is reason to believe that a crime has been committed,” Marianne Ny, director of public prosecution, said in a statement.

“Considering information available at present, my judgement is that the classification of the crime is rape,” Ny said, adding that “more investigations are necessary before a final decision can be made”.

The suspected crimes were “sexual coercion and sexual molestation, respectively”, the prosecutor said.

These allegations were mentioned in an initial police report. They resulted in an arrest warrant that was withdrawn a day later.

Attorney Claes Borgstrom, who represents the two women who made the allegations, welcomed the decision. He had appealed against an earlier decision to only probe Assange over harassment.

“Although you never know how this will end, it vindicates these women who have been accused of making this up,” Borgstrom told the online edition of tabloid Aftonbladet.

Assange has previously rejected the accusations by e-mail, and spoke of “dirty tricks” by those who did not agree with WikiLeaks publishing sensitive documents including on the war in Afghanistan.

Local media Tuesday reported that Assange was seeking residency in Sweden and had applied for a work permit. The application was made Aug 18, three days before the complaints were made.