Trial begins for man accused of assaulting Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen

On the afternoon of June 7, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was struck on the shoulder while heading to a coffee meeting in central Copenhagen. Today, a trial begins at the Copenhagen City Court, where a 39-year-old man faces charges of assaulting a public official. The indictment states that the man, a Polish national, hit the Prime Minister on her right shoulder, causing her to lose her balance. He was arrested shortly after the incident and has been in custody since. He has previously denied the assault charges.

During past court hearings, the accused admitted to seeing Prime Minister Frederiksen that June afternoon, acknowledging he recognized her from social media. His defense attorney noted that he had no clear memory of the event due to his heavy intoxication. Police reports from the evening indicated he appeared significantly under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Prime Minister Frederiksen has provided testimony to the police, which was read in court, revealing that the man approached her unexpectedly and struck her. She recounted that when he passed by her, he spoke in an incomprehensible language before hitting her shoulder.

The prosecution has confirmed that the Prime Minister will not testify in this trial. Following the incident, which occurred during the EU Parliament election campaign, Frederiksen canceled several events. In a subsequent interview, she expressed being deeply affected, stating she was not feeling like herself and needed time with her family.

In addition to the assault charges, the 39-year-old is also facing multiple other charges unrelated to the Prime Minister’s incident, including cases of fraud and indecent exposure. The trial is scheduled to span two days, with a verdict expected tomorrow, August 7.