Denmark’s foreign minister ‘deeply disappointed’ by Lao authorities’ handling of Danish women’s deaths

Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, expressed deep disappointment on Friday after Lao authorities concluded their investigation into the 2024 deaths of two Danish women at a hostel in Vang Vieng, Laos.

The women, Freja Vennervald Sørensen and another Danish national, died alongside four foreign tourists from Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. Their families suspect methanol poisoning, but Lao officials said they could not conclusively prove the cause of death.

Prosecutors filed charges against a distillery owner for selling harmful food products and operating an illegal business, with a maximum sentence of four years in prison. Rasmussen called the charges “deeply disappointing,” noting that they did not reflect the severity of the tragedy.

“I understand the challenges of meeting the burden of proof required for the most serious charges, but it remains difficult to reconcile with such a lenient prosecution,” he said in a written statement. Rasmussen added that he had personally urged Lao authorities to pursue a thorough investigation to hold those responsible to account.

The families of the deceased also criticized the outcome. Rikke Vennervald Sørensen, mother of Freja, said she was frustrated that no one had been held accountable for the deaths.

Lao authorities said the case would remain open for 15 years, allowing for potential future charges, such as involuntary manslaughter, if new evidence emerges. However, they confirmed that current evidence was insufficient to support such charges.