Copenhagen (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A Polish man has been found guilty of attacking Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
What Was the Verdict for the Polish Man?
A Polish man was convicted to four months in jail for assaulting Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, adding he will be ousted from the country. The unnamed 39-year-old man has been charged with hitting Frederiksen’s right shoulder with a clenched fist, forcing her to lose her balance but not fall. Frederiksen mourned whiplash at the time. Danish broadcasters DR and TV2 stated the Copenhagen District Court issued the sentencing.
“We have found you guilty of having punched the prime minister with a closed fist on the right shoulder,” Judge Jacob Scherfig stated after a two-day trial. The man stated he did not recall striking Frederiksen, blaming the memory loss on having drunk and the surprise of noticing the prime minister.
How Did the Assault on Frederiksen Occur?
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was on a private vacation from the Social Democratic Party’s campaign for the elections to continue the European Parliament when the assault took place on a busy downtown Copenhagen plaza. The 46-year-old prime minister, who has been in post since 2019, had been campaigning for her party’s EU lead candidate, Christel Schaldemose, who was elected.
The attack was not related to the campaign event. The assault occurred as violence against politicians in Europe circulated in the run-up to the European Union elections.
What Were the Additional Charges Against the Attacker?
The man, who has been preserved in pretrial custody since the assault, also encounters other charges including sexual harassment by revealing himself to passing people and groping a woman at a commuter train station, and deception involving deposit-marked bottles and cans at two supermarkets. He has admitted to those charges.
What Did the Prosecutor Argue in Court?
Prosecutor Anders Larsson had mandated four months in jail for assaulting the prime minister and for revealing his private parts to passing people, expressing his sexual acts were not gross but “were certainly awkward” for those seeing it, according to DR. “His behaviour and demeanour are far removed from a citizen who should be in our society,” Larsson stated in court, according to DR.
