Man sentenced, deported for attacking Danish prime minister

A 39-year-old Polish national who attacked Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen in June was sentenced on Wednesday to four months in prison and banned from the country for six years.

The court convicted the man of committing violence against an official in office. The court instructed that the man be deported immediately after completing his sentence.

“We have found you guilty of striking the prime minister on the right shoulder, knocking the prime minister out of place,” a Copenhagen District Court judge in the ruling.

The court emphasized the seriousness of the crime since Frederiksen was attacked while performing her duties as prime minister. The man said he would not appeal the ruling.

Prosecutor Anders Larson said that along with the attack, the man exposed his private parts to those passing the scene, saying the acts “were certainly uncomfortable” for those seeing it.

“His behavior and demeanor dare far removed from a citizen who should be in our society,” Larsson said in court.

Frederiksen, who has been prime minister since 2019, had been campaigning for her party’s European Parliament candidate Christel Schaldemose when the attack happened. Schaldemose would later go on to win the election.

Europe had seen a spat of violence against politicians. Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico survived an assassination attempt by a gunman this year.