A 37-year-old man is charged with kidnapping a seven-month-old child.
Local residents gathered in front of Hotel Norden in Haderslev, where the baby was found on March 9. (Photo: © Søren Laursen, DR)
By
Henriette Kampp Sørensen ([email protected]) 52 minutes ago
In March, a seven-month-old baby was taken from a backyard in Haderslev, where the child was sleeping in its stroller. Since then, a 37-year-old man has been held in pre-trial detention, and on Tuesday morning, a judge again extended the detention by four weeks.
This took place at the Court of Sønderborg.
Read also: Man remanded in custody in case of baby kidnapping (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/37-aarig-sigtet-forsoeg-paa-voldtaegt-af-syv-maaneder-gammelt-spaedbarn)
In addition to the kidnapping, he is also charged with giving the child cocaine (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/37-aarig-sigtet-give-bortfoert-spaedbarn-kokain) and with attempted rape. The child was found together with the accused at Hotel Norden in Haderslev approximately an hour and a half later and was then reunited with its parents.
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'Should be released'
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It was Anemarie Haahr, special prosecutor for the South and South Jutland Police, who requested the extension. She stated in court that the investigation is complete, but that the forensic psychiatry department has yet to provide a mental health assessment.
According to the prosecutor, the circumstances regarding the child kidnapping and deprivation of liberty could result in over a year's imprisonment, and therefore this is such a serious case that it warrants a longer period of pre-trial detention. The accused has so far been held in pre-trial detention for nearly nine months.
Attorney Benny Collenburg represented the accused on behalf of defense lawyer Klaus Ewald. Contrary to prosecutor Anemarie Haahr, he did not believe that a four-week extension is reasonable.
He pointed out that the investigation is concluded and that there is therefore no risk of interference. He argued that the accused should be released. Alternatively, he should only be remanded in custody for two weeks.
According to the defense lawyer, there is also nothing to support the claim that it was the accused who gave the child cocaine, as one of the charges states.
In the end, however, the judge chose to grant the prosecution's request.
The judge emphasized that there is still a particularly strong suspicion against the accused, and she also referred to the nature of the case. The man must now remain behind bars for another four weeks.
The accused pleads not guilty. He did not wish to comment in court but requested time to consider whether to appeal the decision.
According to the prosecutor, the case can be scheduled and charges can be brought as soon as the personal background report on the accused is ready.
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