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Copenhagen police lift stop-and-search zone

Police in Copenhagen have announced that stop and search zones put in place following a spate of knife violence in the Danish capital will now be lifted, after no further incidents occurred in the last week.

Copenhagen police lift stop-and-search zone
Illustration file photo. Copenhagen Police have revoked a stop-and-search zone put in place in response to knife violence- Photo: Emil Helms/Ritzau Scanpix

The stop and search zones (also called “visitation zones”), which were in effect in parts of the Nørrebro and Nordvest neighbourhoods, will not be continued and will expire on Thursday, police confirmed.

Recent weeks have not seen any further incidents, police stated, in reference to a spate of violence that flared in the area at the end of 2022.

When the zones are in effect, police within the zone can stop people and check their possessions without meeting the usual requirements to do so.

The stop-and-search zone was put in place on December 29th in response to five stabbings within a week in Copenhagen. It was extended on January 5th.

At the time, police said they believed several of the stabbings were between young men associated with criminal circles, but that there had been no sign of a conflict between established crime groups.

In Thursday’s tweet, police said that investigations into the incidents were “progressing”. No arrests have yet been made.

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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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