Criticism for not highlighting racist motive in Danish murder case

[TomVilmer]

A Danish court has jailed two brothers for 14 years for murdering a friend last summer. The killing of the friend, who had a Danish father and Tanzanian mother, had stirred fears of racism. However, no charges of hate crime were brought, even through prosecutors said they could not rule it out.

The perpetrators were found to have inflicted a prolonged and brutal attack on their victim, that lasted at least 15 to 20 minutes. The brothers themselves had argued they had not intended to kill their victim, merely to teach him a lesson because they believed he had made sexual advances to their mother.

Danish authorities were criticized for not highlighting a racist motive in the murder but the prosecutor told the court on Monday that they could not be sure of what was going on in the minds of the brothers at the time.

The murder happened at the time of Black Lives Matter protests around the world, including in Denmark, after the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. A BLM protest was expected to take place later. Danish media reported that a counter-demonstration was also due to take place involving friends of the victim who did not believe there was a racist motive.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55143044

The murder rate in Denmark is (only) five time lower than in the United States. I find it a fair trial not to build up a racist motive here, since the three of them actually were friends - and most killings happens among friends. The brothers will go to prison for a long time, and they deserve it. There are of course racism in Denmark, mostly against migrants from the Middle East, but violence and killings do also have other stupid reasons.

[dalton99a]

1. Police couldn't find any evidence of racism

Mads Møller

[TomVilmer]

2. And that is clear evidence of ...

... great stupidity. And not a thing the prosecutor saw any reason to use in court, since humans are a weird bunch, that should not be judged by the color on their skin.