Two men, who were detained at the end of July following a report of the rape of three teenage girls in Aalborg Municipality, have been released after just a few days. This was confirmed by Police Commissioner Carsten Straszek from the Northern Jutland Police (Nordjyllands Politi).
The men, in their 20s and 30s, were arrested on July 27 after video surveillance and witness interviews pointed to them as suspects. However, they were released on August 2 after a legal assessment deemed their continued detention unnecessary.
The three girls, two aged 14 and one aged 15, reported the rape shortly before the men’s arrest. A judge in Hjørring decided on July 28 to remand the men in custody until August 22, at which point a new evaluation of the need for continued detention was scheduled. Despite this, the men were released after less than a week.
Police Commissioner Carsten Straszek has confirmed that the prosecution no longer sees grounds for keeping the men in custody, although they remain under suspicion and the investigation is ongoing. If the basis for suspicion weakens, it is the responsibility of the prosecution to release the suspects, which is the case here.
Due to the ongoing investigation, the police do not wish to provide any further information at this time.
The original report of rape was received on the afternoon of July 27, after which the police were able to quickly arrest and charge the two men. During the preliminary hearing on July 28, it was indicated that the accusations against the men involved several provisions of the rape law. The Northern Jutland Police will continue to examine the case closely to ensure a proper handling of the allegations.