Former police employee jailed for leaking confidential gang crime information

A 51-year-old former employee of Østjyllands Police has been sentenced to three months in prison for leaking confidential details about gang criminals in Aarhus, a Danish court ruled on Wednesday, DR reports.

The Aarhus District Court delivered the unconditional prison term after finding the defendant guilty of disclosing sensitive police information to journalists in 2021. The leaked material was later used in a television documentary about crime in the city.

Prosecutor Christina Schou called the ruling a “harsh sentence,” noting that unconditional imprisonment for a current or former police employee is rare under existing legal practice. “This sends a clear signal that violating confidentiality obligations is a serious offense,” she said.

The leaked information could have compromised both individual safety and broader police efforts to monitor criminal activity in Aarhus Vest, Schou added.

The defendant, who maintained his innocence throughout the trial, was reportedly surprised by the severity of the sentence, according to his lawyer, Henrik Garlik. The conviction may also limit his future employment prospects in law enforcement or security consulting.

“Showing a clean criminal record will be difficult if the verdict stands,” Garlik said. The defendant has requested time to consider an appeal.