Danish police officer says audit confirms claims of case mismanagement

A Danish police investigator who publicly criticised the practice of closing cases without proper investigation says he feels vindicated after a national audit exposed widespread failures in the country’s police force.

Martin Bjørnvig, an investigator with East Jutland Police, spoke out last year about what officers call “washing” cases—closing them without basic investigation while misleading the public about the reasons. Now, a report by Rigsrevisionen (Denmark’s National Audit Office) has found that police failed to investigate 13,000 cases before closing them, yet told citizens that investigations had been conducted.

“My first thought is relief—that my colleagues and I have been proven right,” Bjørnvig told public broadcaster DR. “It couldn’t be stated more clearly than Rigsrevisionen has done.”

The audit, reviewed by parliament’s Statsrevisorerne (Auditors General), found that in 5,900 cases of violent crime—including assault, child abuse material possession, and rape—police took no investigative steps before closure. The same applied to 7,100 economic crime cases. These accounted for roughly 7% of all serious and financial crime reports police decided to investigate themselves between 2019 and mid-2025.

Bjørnvig was among 30 officers who contacted DR last year, with two—including him—choosing to speak publicly. He decided to go on record after the National Police claimed they had “never heard” of case-washing. “That was the spark that lit my fuse,” he said at the time.

The audit also revealed that police provided incorrect justifications for closing cases in thousands of instances. “If you don’t give the real reason, you’ve lied to citizens by definition,” Bjørnvig said.

Another officer, who remains anonymous, called the findings “a relief for my sense of justice,” adding: “It’s good to finally have confirmation. I’ve waited a long time to see proof that I was right.”

The Police Union, representing rank-and-file officers, called the criticism “harsh” but directed blame at politicians. “The arrow points to lawmakers,” said union head Heino Kegel. “We’re here because Danish police haven’t been prioritised for years.”

Bjørnvig hopes the report will lead to better resources—not just personnel but also IT systems—and a reform of police leadership. “Mostly, this gives me peace of mind,” he said. “But it should also make us reflect on how we do things.”