A 31-year-old man held in connection with the death of a Swedish man at a World Cup big-screen event in Copenhagen has agreed to four more weeks in pre-trial detention. The agreement cancelled a hearing set for Wednesday at Copenhagen City Court.
The man’s defense attorney, Thomas Brædder, confirmed the decision to Ritzau, as reported by DR. A judge had been scheduled to assess whether there was still a legal basis for keeping the 31-year-old in custody. With the voluntary extension, no court hearing will take place.
The violence occurred on June 30, 2026, at a big-screen event on Islands Brygge in Copenhagen, where a World Cup match between Norway and Ivory Coast was being shown. The 31-year-old is charged with knocking down a 32-year-old Swedish man. The victim struck his head in the fall and later died of his injuries.
Police have charged the man under section 244 of the Danish Criminal Code, known as the milder violence provision. The deceased was employed by the Swedish police but attended the event as a private individual. According to DR, the 31-year-old came to Denmark from Congo as an infant and is a Danish citizen.
Sentencing debate and further charges
The prosecutor in the case has said the 31-year-old faces eight to ten months in prison. TV 2 reported the same sentencing expectation, and later described witness accounts of a broader assault, including a punch to the neck and a kick to the head.
The case has drawn political attention. Speaking at Marienborg last week, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the suspected perpetrator had shown almost psychopathic behavior and should be punished more severely than the prosecution proposes. The government has said it will tighten penalties under section 244 in cases where the victim dies and the offender has previously committed crimes against persons.
Two more men, aged 24 and 29, were charged last week over violence against Swedes at the same event. Berlingske reported the additional charges on August 21, and Ekstra Bladet also covered them.
The 24-year-old, a Danish citizen, is accused of stamping on the 32-year-old Swede while he lay on the ground, and of hitting another Swedish citizen. He was released after questioning. The 29-year-old, a Somali citizen, is accused of kicking the second man.
Police charged the 29-year-old by telephone and through his defense attorney, having failed to locate him. He is also charged with violating an entry ban imposed in an earlier case. As of Tuesday, Copenhagen Police had still not found him.
Police have said the three cases will be handled separately, as there is no information indicating that the men acted together. Further information on crime in Denmark is published by the authorities.
