A 60-year-old man has been acquitted of indecent exposure in Tønder, more than two years after two teenage girls reported him for masturbating in a parked car near their school.
The verdict was delivered at the district court on Wednesday, Avisen Danmark reports. Judge Kristin Bergh found that there was doubt about what the main witness had actually seen.
The reported incident took place on May 30, 2024, at around 2 p.m. The two girls, then aged 14 and 15, were walking home from Jejsing Friskole along Kærvej toward a bus stop.
One of the girls looked into a parked car and believed the driver was masturbating. The other girl photographed the car and its number plate, which allowed police to identify the man the same day. He was charged with blufærdighedskrænkelse, the Danish offense of indecent exposure.
At the final hearing, the main witness appeared by video link together with her support lawyer. She told the court that the man sat with his genitals exposed and looked toward a playground where children were playing. She said she recalled seeing only the tip of his penis and never named the body part directly.
The second girl gave a more limited account. According to her testimony, she saw the man sitting with his hands in his lap, and she noticed nothing clearly suspicious even when the girls passed the car a second time.
The defendant denied the accusation throughout the case. He told the court that he could not remember the day at all, because he had been living with depression for about a year. He also said he had never previously had any dealings with the police.
A case that ran for more than two years
The first court hearing was held on February 26, 2025, where the defendant and one of the girls testified. The main witness did not appear. She was also absent from the second hearing on June 18, 2025, which delayed a decision in the case.
At the third and final hearing this week, Judge Bergh concluded that the main witness had difficulty giving details about what she observed. The judge also noted uncertainty over whether the girl could have misunderstood the situation. On that basis, the court acquitted the 60-year-old man.
The man rejected the accusation again as he left the courthouse, calling it a lie, per Avisen Danmark. The state will cover the costs of the case.
Based on the research available as of August 15, 2026, Avisen Danmark appears to be the only outlet reporting on the acquittal. No police statement, court communication, or ministry comment specifically about the case was identified.
