Denmark: Murderer Of Journalist Kim Wall Escaped From Prison Threatening Prison Workers
Location: Denmark, Copenhagen
Date: October 21, 2020
Sentenced to life imprisonment Peter Madsen broke out of prison yesterday after he took a female psychologist hostage and threatened the security with having a bomb.
Peter Madsen tog psykolog som gidsel i fængslet:https://t.co/NcGBrymYv0
— Ekstra Bladet Breaking (@ebbreaking) October 20, 2020
Peter Madsen had murdered journalist Kim Wall in August 2017. Swedish freelance journalist Kim Wall was targeted for her work and was reported missing, under suspicious circumstances on August 12th 2017. The Coalition For Women In Journalism had released a statement urging authorities to act faster to relocate Kim and bring her back to safety. “There should be a vigilant investigation. So far, we are disappointed with the amount of information being released by the authorities, considering they have access to individuals who were on board the submarine.” had said founder of CFWIJ Kiran Nazish.
She was then found dead on an amateur-built submarine owned by millionaire Peter Madsen that had sunk off the coast of Copenhagen. Peter Madsen was then sentenced to life in prison in 2018 for the murder of journalist Kim Wall.
Yesterday, Peter Madsen threatened the guards with having a bomb belt and took a female psychologist hostage with a gun. The guards had to let Peter Madsen go because judged that the hostage was in obvious danger of death. It is still unclear whether the gun was real or a dummy.
In a public statement, the chairman of the prison association, Bo Yde Sørensen, confirmed that a female civilian employee was taken hostage and that the inmate was armed with 'a pistol-like object'. The prison officers were able to identify his whereabouts to the police. He jumped into a seemingly random white van, but officers suspect he did not get far away from the Nyvej neighbourhood. Peter Madsen was shortly after apprehended by police forces.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is appalled that the murderer could escape prison but understands the dangerous situation the officers were put in. Kim Wall’s murder was a black day for press freedom in Europe and we appreciate the efforts of the authorities to serve justice to her case.
The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.