Danish police chief acknowledges severe criticism over case handling

Danish National Police Commissioner Thorkild Fogde has described a new report by the national audit office as “unpleasant reading,” after it revealed police told 14,000 citizens their cases were under investigation when no investigation had begun, DR reports.

The Rigsrevisionen (National Audit Office of Denmark) published two reports Tuesday criticising police handling of criminal cases, including failures to follow prosecution guidelines in rape investigations. Fogde called the findings “not good enough,” though he argued the audit does not reflect the full scope of police work.

“These 14,000 cases must of course be seen in relation to the approximately 600,000 reports police receive annually,” Fogde told DR News, while acknowledging that misleading citizens is unacceptable. “There can be no doubt it is wrong to give citizens incorrect information.”

The audit also found officers reported pressure from management to close cases quickly. A survey of 10,000 officers—with a 38% response rate—revealed widespread concerns over workload and prioritisation. Opposition lawmaker Lars Christian Lilleholt (Venstre) called it “one of the most serious reports” he had seen.

Fogde conceded the reports paint “an unsatisfactory picture” but insisted Danish police still handle over 400,000 prosecutions yearly, with courts struggling to keep up. “The individual citizen whose case is dismissed may not find that reassuring, but it is part of the full picture,” he said.

On rape cases specifically, Fogde admitted non-compliance with prosecution guidelines was “not good enough,” despite prior efforts to address the issue. The reports will now go to Denmark’s incoming justice minister, who has four months to respond to the audit’s recommendations.

Fogde pledged to implement the proposed changes but warned of systemic strain. “It is a real concern whether there are enough police left for the citizen who may only need us two or three times in their life,” he said, citing competing demands from security tasks and mental health crises.

While welcoming a new multi-year political funding agreement, Fogde acknowledged officer frustration over prioritisation. “Everyone—myself included—must prioritise daily, but no one should feel abandoned in that process,” he said.