Within the next week three of the four allegations made    against him in 2010 will reach the five-year expiry date set out under the country’s statute of limitations, the Swedish Prosecution Authority (SPA) confirmed.

A spokeswoman for the authority said one allegation of sexual molestation and one of unlawful coercion would expire on Thursday, while another of sexual molestation claim would expire on Tuesday 18 August.

But an allegation of rape will not expire until 2020, the spokeswoman added, meaning the legal impasse could remain.