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Danish local politician found dead before attempted murder trial

A local politician in Denmark was found dead in his cell on Wednesday morning, shortly before court proceedings were scheduled to begin in an attempted murder case against him.

Danish local politician found dead before attempted murder trial
File photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix

The case, against René Michael Fløe Kauland of the town of Greve near Roskilde, was due to begin on Wednesday.

But Kauland was found dead in his cell at Slagelse Jail. The death is to be further investigated, Central and West Zealand Police have confirmed.

“As the man has died, there will subsequently be no criminal proceedings against him in our police district,” spokesperson Martin Bjerregaard told Ritzau.

The neighbouring South Zealand and Lolland/Falster police force was informed of the death at 7:29am on Wednesday, the news agency writes.

A police duty officer did not wish to go into any detail relating to cause of death or when the local politician is thought to have died.

Kauland, 41, was charged with attempting to murder his former girlfriend and with assaulting her daughter on May 11th last year.

He was suspected of entering the woman’s bedroom, where she and her daughter were sleeping, carrying a blunt object and wearing a mask. He was accused of then beating the woman on the head and body with the object, also hitting the daughter.

“The death is very sad,” Henrik Stagetorn, who was defence lawyer in the cancelled trial, said.

“The case is closed in the sense that there will be no trial,” Stagetorn said.

Kauland was elected to the town council in Greve for the Venstre (Liberal) party in 2017, according to newspaper Ekstra Bladet.

READ ALSO: Denmark's courts hand out tougher sentences for rape, violence

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METTE FREDERIKSEN

Denmark extends detention of Prime Minister’s suspected attacker

The man accused of assaulting Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on a public square earlier this month will remain in custody until July 4th, a Copenhagen court ruled on Thursday.

Denmark extends detention of Prime Minister's suspected attacker

The 39-year-old Polish man is suspected of punching Frederiksen on June 7th as she walked in central Copenhagen, leaving her with a minor whiplash injury.

“The court has decided that the suspect will remain in custody until July 4th,” a court official told AFP, following a hearing that lasted less than an hour.

The man, who was arrested immediately after the incident, has denied responsibility and says he has no recollection of what happened.

Frederiksen, 46, underwent a medical examination afterwards and was diagnosed with a “contusion on her right shoulder and a minor whiplash injury”, according to her office.

A medical certificate was presented to the court on Thursday.

Frederiksen and several witnesses have been questioned in the ongoing investigation, police said.

In police questioning, relayed to the court on Thursday, Frederiksen said the man approached her and uttered something incomprehensible, then hit her on the shoulder with a closed fist, Danish news agency Ritzau reported on Thursday.

READ ALSO: Danish PM Frederiksen makes first public appearance since assault

According to prosecutor Line Steffensen, the man was drunk and had stolen alcohol from a grocery store just prior to his encounter with the prime minister.

Steffensen said the man had been arrested on several occasions for shoplifting since moving to Denmark five years ago.

Frederiksen became Denmark’s youngest ever prime minister when she was elected in 2019, aged 41. She won re-election in 2022.

She said after the attack that she was “shaken” and did not take part in the final day of campaigning for the EU election.

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