Vigilante “Paedophile Hunters” Sentenced to Prison

Six people were sentenced to prison on Wednesday at the Court in Glostrup for a series of serious vigilante assaults on individuals the group suspected of paedophilia.

The convicted individuals consist of five men and one woman who were behind planned assaults on a total of 10 people in several locations across the Greater Copenhagen area, including Albertslund, Vallensbæk, Brøndby Strand and Amager Fælled.

The leader of the group was sentenced to five and a half years in prison. The other men received prison sentences of four months and three separate sentences of three years respectively. The woman in the case, who acted as a decoy, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison.

“This is the most extensive case of this type of vigilante justice that we have seen in Denmark so far,” said one of the prosecutors in the case, Oliver Hjeresen.

According to the case, the group had organised itself with the purpose of seeking out and subjecting people to violent assaults as acts of vigilante justice because the group believed the individuals were paedophiles.

The group was arrested by Copenhagen West Police in June last year following an extensive investigation.

“When people take the law into their own hands in the way the defendants did here, it is not only a crime against the individual victims. It is a serious threat to our rule-of-law society,” said Oliver Hjeresen.

Two of the convicted accepted the verdict, while four requested time to consider whether to appeal.

“I am pleased that the court agreed with the prosecution that the defendants should receive lengthy prison sentences for their actions,” said Oliver Hjeresen, continuing:

“Not least, I am pleased that thanks to solid police work last spring, it was possible to put a stop to the group and their behaviour undermining society.”

The court has also ruled that five of the convicted individuals are to remain in custody.

:NB: