Prosecutors seek indefinite imprisonment for teenage killer in rare case

Prosecutors are pushing for an indefinite prison sentence—known as forvaring—for a now 20-year-old man convicted of murdering and raping his 13-year-old ex-girlfriend in Hjallerup, reports Danish broadcaster DR. Legal experts call the demand “highly unusual” given the defendant’s age at the time of the crime.

The case, which shocked the local community, returns to court today as prosecutors appeal last year’s 12-year prison sentence, arguing it fails to reflect the severity of the crime. The defendant, then 17, admitted to killing the girl after she ended their relationship, stating he “snapped” while walking her home from a youth club.

Indefinite imprisonment is typically reserved for repeat offenders deemed an ongoing threat to society. Julie Laursen, a University of Copenhagen researcher specialising in such sentences, noted that cases involving minors are “extremely rare.”

“It’s one of the harshest penalties we have,” Laursen said. “Courts tend to be cautious with young defendants because the consequences are lifelong.”

A forensic psychiatric assessment described the defendant as “egocentric, domineering, manipulative, and reckless,” with a “reduced or absent capacity for guilt or remorse.” Both the assessment and Denmark’s National Board of Forensic Medicine recommended indefinite imprisonment to prevent future violent crimes.

Defence lawyer Mette Grith Stage countered that while the sentence is legally possible, “restraint should be exercised” due to its indeterminate nature. Last July, the trial court’s majority cited the defendant’s age as a key factor in opting for a fixed 12-year term, despite acknowledging “exceptional callousness.”

The appeal hearing began at 09:00 local time, with a verdict expected later today.

About forvaring: Unlike fixed-term sentences, indefinite imprisonment has no set release date. A judge may only lift it if the inmate is no longer deemed dangerous. A 2018 study found those under such orders served an average of over 13 years—shorter than life sentences but among Denmark’s most severe penalties.