Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was subjected to an assault on Kultorvet in Copenhagen on Friday evening. A 39-year-old man has been charged in connection with the incident and is now in custody. The accused, who has a gag order, was presented in a preliminary hearing at the Court in Frederiksberg on Saturday. The man, who is from Poland and has been living in Denmark since 2019 but does not speak Danish, had a Polish interpreter in court. According to information from the court and sources close to the case, the man lives in a rented room in Brøndby Strand and has previously sought work as a craftsman. He was dressed in a colorful basketball hoodie, gray pants, white sneakers, and green checkered socks during the hearing. The man described himself as a “guest” in Denmark, even though he has a Danish social security number.
The 39-year-old admitted in court that he was present at Kultorvet at the time of the incident and explained that he was both intoxicated and possibly under the influence of intoxicating substances during the episode. A doctor assessed him as “mentally unstable” after his arrest. Although the man had difficulty remembering details about the incident, where he allegedly punched Mette Frederiksen with a clenched fist on her right forearm, he acknowledged being aware that Mette Frederiksen is the Prime Minister of Denmark and remembered meeting her at Kultorvet. The 39-year-old man has been remanded in custody for 12 days until June 20. He pleads not guilty to the charges.