Police charge man over weeks of vandalism in Rødding

Police have charged a 38-year-old man in connection with several weeks of vandalism in Rødding, a town in southern Jutland, DR reported. The man was released after being questioned, but the investigation by South and Southern Jutland Police is continuing.

Kasper Hofer Østergaard, who lives in Rødding, said he felt relieved when he heard of the charge. “I could also tell that many others did too,” he said.

Several incidents have involved smashed windows and what police described as hate speech written on shopfronts and, most recently, vehicles belonging to Vejen Municipality.

Østergaard helped organise a torchlight procession through the town in late October to protest the vandalism. Police later shared an image of a suspect and asked the public for help. They said information from local residents contributed to the charge.

Østergaard said he hoped the town’s streets would become calm again, and that he was particularly concerned about residents from other ethnic backgrounds who had feared they might be targeted next. He added that the man was not guilty unless convicted in court.