Polish man given prison sentence for punching Danish prime minister

Polish man given prison sentence for punching Danish prime minister

By Isabelle Yr Carlsson

A Polish man was sentenced to four months in prison on Wednesday for punching Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen while she walked through Copenhagen in June, in a case that raised concern over the safety of public officials in the Nordic country.

The 39-year-old was found guilty of assault on a public servant and sentenced to prison, after which he will be deported from Denmark and banned from returning for six years, the court ruled. He punched Frederiksen after a chance encounter and while she walked across a public square.

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"The defendant struck the prime minister with a clenched fist on the right shoulder, whereby the prime minister was thrown off balance," the court's verdict read.

The man was disappointed with the verdict but decided not to appeal, his lawyer Henrik Karl Nielsen said in an emailed statement.

Since the man had already been in custody for two months, he would only have to serve two out of the four months of his sentence, Nielsen added.

The prime minister's office declined to comment.

The attack, which took place two days before European Parliament elections, left Frederiksen with a minor neck injury and led her to cancel several engagements while warning of rising aggression in public places.

Frederiksen, whom witnesses have said was able to leave the scene unaided after the assault, has said in a television interview that she was shaken up after the incident.

The man had told the court on Tuesday that he had recognised Frederiksen but denied touching her, according to the court.

He had admitted in court to some separate charges of fraud and indecent exposure, while denying others.

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