Attack on Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen

Almost four weeks after a physical attack on Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, charges have been brought against a 39-year-old man. The defendant’s lawyer told the Danish news agency Ritzau that this was the case. The Copenhagen District Court will therefore deal with the incident on August 6 and 7.

Frederiksen was attacked on June 7 in a square in downtown Copenhagen as she was on her way to have coffee with a friend. The man is accused of hitting the head of government on the upper arm. The Polish citizen, who has lived in Denmark for several years, denied his guilt in court. Frederiksen suffered minor whiplash and canceled several appointments in the days following the attack.

The investigators do not believe that this was a planned attack with a political motive. Rather, the man was under the influence of alcohol and possibly drugs. According to Ritzau, he must expect to be deported from the country.