HomeDanish Crime NewsParents Face Charges After Daughter Injured by Falling Tree

Parents Face Charges After Daughter Injured by Falling Tree

A tragic incident turned the life of a family upside down in Charlottenlund, Denmark, when Storm Malik swept through the country in January 2022. A large beech tree fell onto their rented villa on Krathusvej, resulting in severe injuries to the family’s five-year-old daughter. The father, who first heard a loud crash and then saw the house begin to collapse, found his daughter partially buried under the rubble. She sustained a complex skull fracture and bleeding, but fortunately, there were no lasting consequences.

On Tuesday, the case was discussed in the Lyngby Court (Retten i Lyngby), where both the landlord and his father were charged with negligently causing significant harm to the girl. The family’s two other children, who were aged 9 and 13 at the time, escaped physical harm, but the incident has left deep psychological scars. The father emphasized in court that he does not seek compensation; rather, he wishes to understand whether the accident could have been prevented.

The incident has led to serious accusations against the owners of the house, who reside abroad, and the landlord’s father, who acted as the point of contact in Denmark. According to the prosecution, the two large beech trees were heavily infested with fungus and should have been cut down before the accident. Despite being warned about the danger, no actions were reportedly taken.
The landlord’s father testified in court that he had attempted several times to have the trees removed but faced bureaucratic obstacles due to the area’s designation as protected forest (fredskov). He had reached out to both a forest ranger, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (Miljøstyrelsen), and the local municipality without success, stating in court that he felt powerless.

The landlord, informed by his father about the danger, assured that he would have liked to have the trees cut down to ensure the safety of his tenants, but obtaining the necessary permits proved impossible. Special prosecutor Rikke Hald argued that the situation should have been considered an “emergency situation” and required action, regardless of the missing permits. Defense attorney Anders Németh strongly disagreed, pointing out that it is highly unusual to claim conviction based on a lack of necessary emergency action.

The ruling in the case is expected to be announced in a week, and if the two defendants are found guilty, they may face a fine.

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