Earlier this month, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was attacked by a 39-year-old Polish man in Copenhagen. According to defender Henrik Karl Nielsen, a police report shows that Mette Frederiksen did not sustain whiplash after the attack, but only experienced “ordinary tenderness in the arm and shoulder.” This came to light in the Copenhagen City Court during the case against the accused man, who is charged with hitting the Prime Minister on the arm at Kultorvet in Copenhagen.
Subsequently, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a press release referring to a report prepared by an orthopedic surgeon at Rigshospitalet on June 7, 2024. According to this report, Mette Frederiksen sustained a contusion on her right shoulder and a minor distortion in the neck region, which can be compared to a mild whiplash. This information corresponds with the Prime Minister’s Office’s earlier statement on June 8 to Ritzau, confirming that the Prime Minister had been “taken for a check-up at Rigshospitalet” after the attack and that she had sustained a minor whiplash.
The 39-year-old Polish man, who is the accused in the case, has had his custody extended until July 4. He is charged with violence against a public official. The attack took place while Mette Frederiksen was on her way to a coffee appointment with a friend. The man was quickly apprehended by staff from Politiets Efterretningstjeneste (PET), who always accompany the Prime Minister.
In court, defender Henrik Karl Nielsen explained that the accused does not remember the incident due to a high level of intoxication. However, he can recall encountering the Prime Minister at Kultorvet. The defender has also questioned whether it was an act of violence against a public official in function, as the attack occurred while Mette Frederiksen was on her way to a private appointment.
The attack happened shortly before the election for the European Parliament on June 9, which led the Prime Minister to cancel all remaining campaign activities. Therefore, she was not present at Christiansborg on election night, where SF became the largest party ahead of the Social Democrats. The incident also impacted her participation in the People’s Meeting (Folkemødet) on Bornholm, where she only participated in a limited program.
Special prosecutor Line Steffensen reviewed in court the movements of the accused on June 7. Before the attack, the accused reportedly stole alcohol from a shop at Fisketorvet, according to the police. The prosecutor also mentioned that the accused has had 20 penalty cases since July 31, 2019, primarily for shoplifting.