Major reports released today reveal how Danish police ‘washed’ cases without proper investigation

Two long-awaited investigations by Denmark’s national audit office, Rigsrevisionen, are published today, examining police handling of violent and financial crime cases following revelations by public broadcaster DR.

According to DR, 40 current and former police officers from across the country described a practice where cases they believed warranted thorough investigation were instead prematurely closed—a process officers refer to as “washing” cases.

The reports, launched in response to DR’s findings, focus on police procedures in serious personal and economic crime investigations. The broadcaster’s earlier reporting had already prompted state prosecutors to conclude that police lacked proper oversight of case-closure rules.