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Danish News in Brief: Vicious spate of robberies results in an unusually severe sentence for two Croatians
Stephen Gadd
January 17th, 2019
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In other stories, Fætter BR may live on after all, PM goes all out for health reform before the election and Royal Run to be repeated
The burglars used excessive violence and terrorised elderly home-owners (photo: TheDigitalWay/pixabay)
An unprecedentedly severe sentence was handed down by the City Court in Nykøbing Falster yesterday when it sentenced two Croatian brothers to 15 years imprisonment for a series of around 30 aggravated home invasions with robbery.
The duo were also convicted of depriving people of their liberty because they bound and beat their victims, reports DR Nyheder.
When their sentence has been served, they will also have to leave Denmark. The men’s parents were also convicted of helping to plan the robberies, but received a milder sentence of 12 years, with expulsion from Denmark to follow and a 37-year-old friend of the family received eight years plus expulsion.
Sheer terror
The robberies took place at various locations around Denmark during 2016 and 2017.
The usual sentence in such cases is up to 10 years, but the court took into consideration the exceptionally violent nature of the crime and the fact that the terrorised homeowners were elderly.
All five have indicated that they intend to appeal.
Toy shop chain may reopen
The toy shop chain Fætter BR, which has been closed following the bankruptcy of its owner, may yet be revived. Supermarket giant Salling Group, the owner of Føtex, Netto and Bilka, has reached an agreement to buy a significant part of the concern, reports Børsen. The agreement, which is confidential, has been negotiated between Salling and the lawyers handling the bankruptcy and is thought to include Fætter BR’s trademark, stock and a number of shops.
No election before health reform in place, says PM
If Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen has any say in the matter, the newly-launched government health reform will not become a pawn in the upcoming election. The PM has declared that the election will only be called once the reform has gone through Parliament, reports TV2 Nyheder. Over the next two weeks the government will be in discussion with stakeholders in the health service. Only after that will the different political parties be called in for discussion. The PM will have to get his skates on, though. The election has to be held by June 17 at the latest.
Royal Run to be repeated in 2019
As part of the celebrations surrounding Crown Prince Frederik’s 50th birthday last May a run was held in the five largest cities in Denmark and more than 70,000 people took part. The success is set to be repeated on Whit Monday, which this year falls on June 10. This year’s run will be slightly different, as Frederik will start by running in the Faroe Islands on June 1, and then nine days later he will run a mile in Aarhus. He will then run 5 km in Aalborg before finishing with a 20 km run in Copenhagen and Frederiksberg.
SAS eyeing up possible Aarhus-New York route
At a meeting of business people in Aarhus, SAS CEO Rickard Gustafson raised the possibility of a direct route from Aarhus to New York if the city backs up the idea, reports check-in.dk. “We see a great deal of potential in Aarhus. It is an exciting city and developing really strongly at the moment,” said Gustafson. A final decision is expected to be taken towards the end of the first quarter of 2019.
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