Security guards acted correctly in attack on the prime minister
On Friday afternoon, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was attacked at Kultorvet by a 39-year-old man, which according to her resulted in whiplash. Despite this incident, Frank Jensen, former operational chief at PET (Danish Security and Intelligence Service), assesses that the security guards did not commit any errors. Frank Jensen explains that the attack apparently was not targeted, but rather random. “As I understand it, he did not go towards her specifically, but stopped more or less randomly and hit her. And you cannot guard against that. Of course, you can’t,” he told B.T. (Danish tabloid).
Copenhagen Police have confirmed that the assault was spontaneous and not planned. Frank Jensen emphasizes that under such circumstances, it is impossible for security guards to prevent this type of attack. “Of course, you can shadow people completely, but then it will not be possible to move around. So instead, a solution is made, where she probably has three to four men with her who are constantly on the lookout for anything unusual happening.” According to Jensen, the primary task of the bodyguards is to observe crowds for potential threats. “They constantly walk around and observe if there is anything that poses a threat. If there is, action is taken. But you cannot act on coincidences,” he explains.
Therefore, it cannot be concluded that the PET guards did not do their job properly, even though the incident resulted in an assault on the prime minister. “It all depends on the situation. The big question is whether there is something about him that indicates he is a threat. If there hasn’t been, they have apparently done what they were supposed to do.” Frank Jensen also does not expect this episode to change the security measures around Mette Frederiksen. “Not at all. If it had been a foreign power or a terrorist organization, it would have been something else. But when there is no actual motive, it will not raise the threat level.” He adds that the incident may have a deterrent effect on potential attackers. “People who have a lot against her learn what it means if you attack the prime minister. It involves a very violent arrest, pretrial detention, and probably an unconditional prison sentence. And that’s how it ends every time, so I don’t think this is something that inspires others to do something similar,” he concludes.