Gunnel Gummeson
Encyclopedia
Gunnel Gummeson was a Swedish school teacher. She was the central figure in a famous case of disappearance
. Gummeson and her fiancé, the American
Peter Winant, disappeared in Afghanistan
in 1956 and was never seen again. Her case attracted a lot of attention and was given a lot of media coverage, but was never solved.
in Bergslagen
. After having worked ideally as a social worker in India
, she decided to return to Sweden by land travel together with her boyfriend Winant, who had previous experience in travelling in Afghanistan. The 20 May 1956, she posted a letter to her parents in the post office of Kabul
, where she informed them about her travelling plans. A couple of days later, the couple was seen disembarking a trunk in the city of Shibarghan in the Northern provinces. According to witness statements, they followed one of their fellow passengers, who rented out rooms. The last confirmed information was when they were seen entering a doorway in the city.
. He complained to the government, which instigated an investigation. Three governors were fired, 10.000 riders were sent out and so many people were arrested that the jails became overcrowded, according to the reports of the Swedish embassy advisor Lennart Petri. None of the information after they left Shibarghan was confirmed, however, and reports that they had been seen in Qaisar
was disregarded by Afghan authorities. In 1961, the investigations was finally finished and the foreign minister of Afghanistan gave a formal statement concluding that the couple was likely murdered in Shibarghan.
, with the information that Gunnel Gummeson was likely being kept in captivity as the daughter-in-law of a wealthy clan chief in Qaisar, Kala Khan; she was also to have given birth to a son. The source of this information was a pashtun
, a secret Christian convert, who had acquired the information during his military service and passed it on to an American priest. According to the pashtun, who was referred to in the diplomatic correspondence as “Joe”, it was common knowledge in Maimana that Winant had been killed and that Gummeson had been sold to the khan. The public was loyal to the khan, and the province governor had been bribed. Asked by the American priest, “Joe” travelled to Maimana territory dressed as a toy merchant, entered the summer camp of Kala Khan and there met a blond boy with European features. His attempts to contact the mother failed and he was forced to flee.
The Swedish foreign office and ambassador Dick Hichens Bergström took the information seriously and discussed a rescue operation by helicopter
. In June, King Zahir Shah sent a team of 175 elite soldiers dressed as road workers to search through every village and nomad camp for Gummeson. The only blond western woman they found, however, was a Russian who assured them that she was voluntarily and happily married.
The Gummeson case attracted a lot of attention and media coverage and was also mentioned in contemporary travel guides. The newspaper Aftonbladet
sent crime reporter Börje Heed to Afghanistan to track Gummeson. The last report about the case was an article in Aftonbladet from 1967, in which two tourists, who had read about the case, reported that they had seen an unusually blond boy in north west Afghanistan.
The fate of Gunnel Gummeson remain unknown. On 8 February 1977, she was officially declared legally dead by the court of Lindesberg
.
Disappearance
Disappearance may refer to:* Forced disappearance, when an organization forces a person to vanish from public view* Unexplained disappearances, the disappearance of objects, animals or people without apparent reason or cause...
. Gummeson and her fiancé, the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Peter Winant, disappeared in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in 1956 and was never seen again. Her case attracted a lot of attention and was given a lot of media coverage, but was never solved.
Disappearance
Gunnel Gummeson was a teacher from NoraNora, Sweden
Nora is a locality and the seat of Nora Municipality, Örebro County, Sweden with 6,496 inhabitants in 2005.Despite its small population, Nora is referred to as a "city" for historical reasons. Statistics Sweden, however, only counts localities with more than 10,000 inhabitants as...
in Bergslagen
Bergslagen
Bergslagen is a historically, culturally, and linguistically distinct mining district located north of Lake Mälaren in northern Svealand, Sweden. In Bergslagen mining and metallurgic industry have been important since the Middle Ages...
. After having worked ideally as a social worker in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, she decided to return to Sweden by land travel together with her boyfriend Winant, who had previous experience in travelling in Afghanistan. The 20 May 1956, she posted a letter to her parents in the post office of Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, where she informed them about her travelling plans. A couple of days later, the couple was seen disembarking a trunk in the city of Shibarghan in the Northern provinces. According to witness statements, they followed one of their fellow passengers, who rented out rooms. The last confirmed information was when they were seen entering a doorway in the city.
First investigation
The father of Peter Winant, Frederick Winant, made investigations which indicated that they had been seen continuing on their way to HeratHerat
Herāt is the capital of Herat province in Afghanistan. It is the third largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of about 397,456 as of 2006. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan...
. He complained to the government, which instigated an investigation. Three governors were fired, 10.000 riders were sent out and so many people were arrested that the jails became overcrowded, according to the reports of the Swedish embassy advisor Lennart Petri. None of the information after they left Shibarghan was confirmed, however, and reports that they had been seen in Qaisar
Qaisar
Qaisar is the Arabic version of the name Caesar and it is used as a given name in Arabia The Roman and later Byzantine emperors were called Qaisar-e-Rum by the Arabs and Persians...
was disregarded by Afghan authorities. In 1961, the investigations was finally finished and the foreign minister of Afghanistan gave a formal statement concluding that the couple was likely murdered in Shibarghan.
Second investigation
In May 1963, the cabinet secretary of the Swedish foreign office, Leif Belfrage, received a confidential, personal letter from the USA ambassador, J. Graham ParsonsJ. Graham Parsons
James Graham Parsons was an American career diplomat who served as United States Ambassador to Laos , Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs , and United States Ambassador to Sweden .-Biography:J. Graham Parsons was born in New York City on October 28, 1907...
, with the information that Gunnel Gummeson was likely being kept in captivity as the daughter-in-law of a wealthy clan chief in Qaisar, Kala Khan; she was also to have given birth to a son. The source of this information was a pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
, a secret Christian convert, who had acquired the information during his military service and passed it on to an American priest. According to the pashtun, who was referred to in the diplomatic correspondence as “Joe”, it was common knowledge in Maimana that Winant had been killed and that Gummeson had been sold to the khan. The public was loyal to the khan, and the province governor had been bribed. Asked by the American priest, “Joe” travelled to Maimana territory dressed as a toy merchant, entered the summer camp of Kala Khan and there met a blond boy with European features. His attempts to contact the mother failed and he was forced to flee.
The Swedish foreign office and ambassador Dick Hichens Bergström took the information seriously and discussed a rescue operation by helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
. In June, King Zahir Shah sent a team of 175 elite soldiers dressed as road workers to search through every village and nomad camp for Gummeson. The only blond western woman they found, however, was a Russian who assured them that she was voluntarily and happily married.
The Gummeson case attracted a lot of attention and media coverage and was also mentioned in contemporary travel guides. The newspaper Aftonbladet
Aftonbladet
Aftonbladet is a Swedish tabloid founded by Lars Johan Hierta in 1830 during the modernization of Sweden. It is one of the larger daily newspapers in the Nordic countries. Aftonbladet is owned by the Swedish Trade Union Confederation and Norwegian media group Schibsted, and its editorial page...
sent crime reporter Börje Heed to Afghanistan to track Gummeson. The last report about the case was an article in Aftonbladet from 1967, in which two tourists, who had read about the case, reported that they had seen an unusually blond boy in north west Afghanistan.
The fate of Gunnel Gummeson remain unknown. On 8 February 1977, she was officially declared legally dead by the court of Lindesberg
Lindesberg
Lindesberg is a locality and the seat of Lindesberg Municipality, Örebro County, Sweden with 8,752 inhabitants in 2005.- History :Lindesberg has centuries old history, being the center of an old mining district. The earliest known traces of a town are in the foundations of the 14th century stone...
.