Anklager Stunned by Acquittal in Child Rape Case

A court in Herning sentenced a 30-year-old man from the Aarhus area to two years in prison for sexual offenses against multiple Danish and foreign children. The contact between the man and the victims originated on Snapchat. He had previously been convicted of the exact same type of crime. Prosecutors had initially sought a sentence involving preventive detention, citing the man as dangerous. The court acquitted him of the most serious charge: the rape of a 13-year-old girl in Videbæk. Senior prosecutor Iben Bøttker expressed that she was “very surprised” by the verdict. She noted that the State Attorney in Viborg will now decide whether to appeal the ruling to the Western High Court. The case was reviewed by a jury panel, which includes six lay judges alongside professional judges. All six lay judges believed the defendant should be convicted of rape. Normally, three professional judges would participate, but one had a legally accepted absence. The remaining two professional judges voted for acquittal. Under Danish law, at least four lay judges and two professional judges must agree for a conviction. Acquitted of rape, the man was found guilty of grooming ten girls, two counts of sexual assault other than intercourse, and indecent exposure. He had been held in pretrial detention for one year and seven months and was released Friday following sentencing.