The man accused of attacking Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on a public square earlier this month will be held in custody until July 4, a Copenhagen court determined Thursday.
The 39-year-old Polish man is accused of striking Frederiksen on June 7 as she walked through central Copenhagen, causing a minor whiplash injury.
“The court has decided that the suspect will remain in custody until July 4,” a court spokesman told AFP after a hearing lasting less than an hour.
The individual, who was arrested immediately following the incident, has denied culpability and claims he has no memory of what occurred.
According to her office, Frederiksen, 46, was treated for a “contusion on her right shoulder and a minor whiplash injury” following the incident.
A medical certificate was given to the court on Thursday.
According to authorities, Frederiksen and many witnesses have been questioned as part of the continuing investigation.
Frederiksen claimed during police questioning, which was conveyed to the court on Thursday, that the man approached her and shouted something incoherent before hitting her on the shoulder with a closed fist.
According to prosecutor Line Steffensen, the man was inebriated and had stolen booze from a grocery store just before meeting with the prime minister.
Steffensen stated that the individual had been jailed multiple times for shoplifting since migrating to Denmark five years ago.
Frederiksen became Denmark’s youngest prime minister when she was elected in 2019, at the age of 41. She gained re-election in 2022.
She stated that she was “shaken” following the attack and did not participate in the last day of EU election campaigning.