Name ban imposed on woman charged with assault against Jonatan Spang in ten counts
A woman charged with ten criminal offences against comedian Jonatan Spang received a name ban at Copenhagen Court on Frederiksberg on Wednesday. Nine of the offences relate to assault.
Woman subject to name ban charged with striking, kicking and spitting on Jonatan Spang
A woman who previously reported comedian Jonatan Spang to police is herself charged with ten criminal offences with Spang as the injured party in all cases. This emerged on Wednesday from a court hearing at Copenhagen Court on Frederiksberg, writes B.T.
Nine of the offences concern assault under the Criminal Code's provision for minor violence. The woman is suspected of having struck, kicked and spat on Jonatan Spang on various occasions between 2022 and 2024. The tenth offence cannot be described, as the court has just imposed a name ban in the case.
Defence lawyer: no legitimate public interest
The woman's defence counsel, barrister Mette Maria Lorentzen, requested the name ban from the court on the basis that the investigation is still at an early stage, and that in her view the offences are "of limited serious character".
The barrister also rejected that the case has any public interest.
– There is absolutely no legitimate public interest in discussing the case against my client other than mere gossip, she said during the court hearing.
Judge Mikkel Ruhnau granted the application and imposed a name ban. This means it is a criminal offence to disclose information that could identify the woman.
Charge does not mean conviction
The woman is solely charged, which means police assess there is reasonable grounds for suspicion. A charge is not equivalent to guilt or conviction, and the police investigation continues. As a charged person, one has the right to defence counsel, does not need to make statements and may lie during interrogation.
Should charges be brought at some point, the prosecution assesses that the evidence is strong enough for conviction by the court.
One of five complainants
The woman is one of five women who filed complaints last year against Jonatan Spang for sexual assault, rape or violence of a physical or psychological nature. According to Ritzau's information, the now name-banned woman did not report Spang for a sexual assault.
The case against Spang came to light in September last year when it became known that he had been dismissed as host of the DR programme "Tæt på sandheden" following allegations of misconduct. The first alleged assault was said to have taken place in 2009 against a girl who was then 15 years old. Spang was 31 at that time and is today 48 years old.
On Instagram, Spang himself wrote that he should have acted more responsibly and should never have begun a relationship with "someone so young". This was followed by complaints from additional women.
Source: B.T.