Two Kosovan prison officers charged with assault on inmate at Vestre Prison
Two prison officers from Kosovo are charged with assault on an inmate at Vestre Prison in Copenhagen on 5 October. Both denied guilt at a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
Kosovan officers arrested after attack on inmate at Vestre Prison
Two prison officers from Kosovo are charged with jointly attacking an inmate at Vestre Prison in Copenhagen, according to The Copenhagen Post. The two men were in Denmark as part of a six-month training programme and were stationed on the prison's South Wing when the incident occurred on 5 October.
Both officers appeared before a judge at Copenhagen City Court, a division located inside the prison, on Wednesday morning. They denied guilt, according to DR Nyheder.
Copenhagen Police confirmed the charges to Ritzau. The officers were arrested on Tuesday, and the judge was to decide at the preliminary hearing whether they should be held on remand.
According to the charges, both officers struck the inmate
The prosecution claims that the two officers acted in concert and pursuant to prior agreement when they attacked the inmate in a cell. According to the charges, one officer pushed the inmate down onto a bed and struck him once in the face. The other officer then allegedly struck the inmate several times in the face and body.
The two men are charged under section 244 of the Criminal Code, which covers simple assault.
Training for a prison post in Kosovo
The prison officers from Kosovo are receiving six months of supplementary training in Denmark with the aim of preparing them for service at Gjilan Prison, where Denmark leases prison capacity, according to DR. The training covers Danish conditions for inmates.
Denmark entered into an agreement to lease prison space in Kosovo in 2021. The intention is that foreign nationals sentenced to expulsion from Denmark shall serve their sentence there.
The project has, however, been plagued by repeated delays – most recently announced in mid-September. The prison spaces are now expected to be ready by the end of 2027 or possibly in the beginning of 2028.
Prison Service unwilling to comment
Danish Prisons, the Danish prison authority, declined to comment on the assault case itself. In a written response, the authority confirmed that an "incident at Vestre Prison" had occurred on 5 October, and that the case had been handed over to the police.
Source: The Copenhagen Post