Man held in custody for another four weeks in infant abduction case

A 37-year-old man will remain in pre-trial detention for another four weeks in connection with the abduction of a seven-month-old girl in Haderslev, southern Denmark, a court ruled Tuesday.

The Sønderborg Court extended the custody following a hearing where the prosecution argued that the investigation remains ongoing, Danish broadcaster DR reports.

The man is accused of abducting the infant from a stroller in a private backyard on March 9 around 6 PM. The child was found about 90 minutes later at Hotel Norden in Haderslev after police traced the sound of crying to a hotel room. The suspect was arrested at the scene.

In addition to abduction, the man is charged with attempted rape of the child. According to police, he stated upon arrest: “I didn’t do anything to the girl, but that’s what I intended to do.”

During Tuesday’s hearing, prosecutors revealed that a mobile phone belonging to the suspect was found in a different hotel room than where he was detained. Authorities are currently analyzing the device. A medication for erectile dysfunction was also discovered in a trash bin at the hotel, a detail the suspect disputed angrily during the proceedings, calling the claims “lies.”

The judge ruled that the continued detention—now extended to May 5—was justified by “particularly strong suspicion” of the abduction charge and the need to uphold law enforcement. The suspect’s defense attorney, Klaus Ewald, reserved the right to appeal the decision to a higher court.

The case has drawn significant local attention, with crowds gathering outside Hotel Norden following the infant’s recovery.