Two young men were sentenced Monday at Retten i Horsens for a hate-motivated assault on two women at the town’s train station in January 2026.
Avisen Danmark reports that a 17-year-old received 10 months in prison in the case. An 18-year-old, named as Ghaith Ghali, was sentenced to one year and three months and expelled from Denmark with a six-year entry ban.
The assault took place at Horsens Banegård on the night of Saturday, January 17, 2026. According to Avisen Danmark, the two women, aged 28 and 38, were struck several times in the head with a totenschläger. They were also sprayed with pepper spray, while a group of young men shouted insults at them.
The women had to be treated at the emergency room for their injuries. Police said the attack was motivated by the two women’s sexual orientation. The court applied the hate crime provision, which allows a harsher sentence when an offense is rooted in the victim’s sexuality or similar characteristics.
The 18-year-old has several prior convictions, including for violence. Alongside the prison term and the expulsion order, he was banned from Horsens nightlife for six months.
TV SYD adds that both defendants were also convicted of violating weapons legislation. Per TV SYD, the 18-year-old carried pepper spray, while the 17-year-old had both a totenschläger and pepper spray at the station. TV SYD further notes that the 18-year-old was jailed immediately and asked for time to consider an appeal.
The verdict covered several violent episodes in Horsens in January 2026. A third 18-year-old was sentenced to three months in prison and given a warning of possible expulsion. He and Ghaith Ghali were convicted of violence and threats with a knife against a man in Vitus Beringsparken on January 2, 2026.
Ghaith Ghali was additionally convicted of violence in the nightlife on January 4, 2026. According to Avisen Danmark, he punched a man in the toilet area at Stalden Pool & Sportsbar in Rædersgade, splitting the victim’s lip. The third 18-year-old accepted the verdict, while the two others requested time to consider theirs.
Police welcome the ruling
Prosecutor Thomas Vestergaard of Sydøstjyllands Politi said in a press statement that he was satisfied with the ruling. As stated by Vestergaard, the verdict underlines that citizens should not be discriminated against or subjected to violence because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
Fyens Stiftstidende reports that Retten i Horsens convicted the two young men of aggravated violence and hate crime, and highlights the expulsion of one of them.
