Faroese rape case appeal opens in high court

A 36-year-old Polish man’s appeal against his conviction for the rape and severe assault of a woman in Sandá begins today in the Faroese High Court, KVF reports.

The man was sentenced in the Faroese Court on 25 March to preventive detention, permanent expulsion from the Faroe Islands, and ordered to pay the victim 200,000 kroner in compensation for pain and suffering, as well as lost income. He has consistently denied the charges, including during police interrogations, and appealed the verdict to the High Court.

The High Court, sitting in the Faroes this week, has allocated three days for the case. Proceedings opened with the Danish defence lawyer reading the contested lower court ruling, followed by the Faroese prosecutor, Sára Ann Bjarnadóttir Vinther, who outlined the evidence supporting the conviction. The defence is expected to challenge DNA evidence and argue inconsistencies in the timeline of the accused’s movements on the night of 28 April 2024.

The victim, who suffered life-threatening injuries, testified via video link from a separate room. The accused was also removed from the courtroom during her testimony but could follow proceedings from another room.