Dozens of guests who dined at the upscale Stockholm restaurant Coco & Carmen have fallen ill with listeria infections, with health authorities confirming at least four cases of sepsis among the affected patrons. The outbreak has resulted in approximately 80-81 formal complaints filed with Stockholm's environmental administration regarding food poisoning, with symptoms including high fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and headaches appearing approximately 24 hours after dining at the establishment.

Health officials have expanded their investigation beyond the initial timeframe of September 25-27 to include guests who visited the restaurant on September 23-24, contacting approximately 400 people as part of the expanded tracing efforts. Currently, about 15 patients remain hospitalized, though none have required intensive care according to Maria Rotzén Östlund, an infectious disease physician with Region Stockholm. The condition of hospitalized patients varies, with some already recovering from their symptoms.

The restaurant's co-owner and chef Joakim Almquist expressed shock at the situation, stating in an email that the establishment is "distressed by what has occurred and hopes those affected recover quickly." Guests from multiple regions including Gothenburg, Örebro, and Uppsala have been identified among those infected, with many reporting severe illness lasting several days. One complainant described the experience as "torture," noting that they and their spouse had never felt so ill for such an extended period.

Coco & Carmen has temporarily closed during the investigation but is expected to reopen next week. Health authorities note that while listeria outbreaks in restaurants are uncommon, previous cases have been documented in medical literature. The exact source of the contamination remains unknown, though some guests have speculated about potential issues with shrimp served as part of the 14-course tasting menu that appears common to all complaints.

Swedish prosecutors have charged four men aged 20 to 24 with robbery and assault in connection with three separate incidents that occurred in central Stockholm on August 27. The charges include allegations of unprovoked violent attacks with a hate crime motivation, according to court documents released by the Swedish Prosecution Authority.

The defendants are accused of robbing one individual and threatening that person's friend in Stockholm's city center, followed by what prosecutors describe as a severe assault against another person later the same night. Three of the men face additional charges for an assault that took place on the Stockholm metro system during the same evening. All victims in the three separate incidents were reported to have foreign backgrounds, though they had no connection to each other.

Prosecutor Gustav Andersson, who led the preliminary investigation, stated that surveillance footage and photographs show some of the defendants making Nazi salutes in connection with the alleged crimes. During house searches, authorities reportedly discovered materials and symbols indicating connections to right-wing extremism. The indictment specifically references the neo-Nazi and violence-promoting Aktivklubb movement as evidence of the motive behind the alleged offenses.

The Aktivklubb movement represents part of a larger international right-wing extremist network that outwardly focuses on strength training and martial arts. In Sweden, the movement gained traction in 2023 through the Aktivklubb Sverige network, which serves as an umbrella organization for local clubs. According to the Expo Foundation's 2024 annual report, five groups from Skåne to Hälsingland are part of Aktivklubb Sverige, with the number of registered activities increasing significantly last year.