The 10 Most Shocking Danish Criminal Cases Ever
Denmark's most notorious criminal cases reveal darker chapters in the history of one of the world's safest countries, offering crucial insights for true crime enthusiasts, criminologists, and anyone interested in understanding how exceptional violence emerges in peaceful societies. These cases fundamentally altered Danish law enforcement practices, influenced legislation, and remain embedded in the national consciousness.
1. **Peter Lundin (The Demon from Rødovre)**
Peter Lundin murdered his mother and her boyfriend in 1991, dismembering the bodies and disposing of them in Copenhagen Harbor. After serving time in the United States for murdering his own son, he returned to Denmark where he killed girlfriend Marianne Pedersen in 2000, cutting her body into pieces and hiding the remains in his apartment. His case shocked Denmark due to the extreme brutality and calculated nature of the crimes. Lundin received Denmark's strictest sentence and remains imprisoned with minimal chance of release, becoming synonymous with extreme violence in Danish criminal history.
2. **The Amagerbanken Robbery (1990)**
On May 4, 1990, the Amagerbanken robbery became Denmark's largest bank heist when criminals stole 64.5 million kroner from a bank in Nordhavn, Copenhagen. The meticulously planned operation involved studying security protocols for months and timing the robbery when the vault held maximum cash reserves. Five perpetrators executed the heist with military precision, though most were eventually caught and imprisoned. Only 7 million kroner was ever recovered, leaving the majority still missing decades later. The case fascinated Denmark with its Ocean's Eleven-style execution and spawned books and documentaries examining the sophisticated planning.
3. **The Blekingegade Gang**
Between 1972 and 1989, this left-wing terrorist group committed numerous robberies in Denmark and internationally, stealing over 100 million kroner to fund radical political movements. Led by members of the Communist Workers' Party (KAP), they executed Denmark's most professional and ideologically motivated crime spree. The gang robbed security transport vehicles, post offices, and banks while maintaining strict operational security that eluded police for nearly two decades. When finally exposed in 1989, the investigation revealed connections to Palestinian liberation movements and international terrorist networks, shocking Denmark's political establishment and public.
4. **The Tove Andersen Double Murder (1985)**
In December 1985, police officer Tove Andersen and her colleague Jesper Egtved were brutally murdered during a routine patrol in Copenhagen, shocking Denmark where police killings were extraordinarily rare. The perpetrators, Palle Sørensen and Jan Steffensen, had planned to flee Denmark but encountered the officers during a traffic stop. The case devastated Danish law enforcement and led to significant reforms in police procedures and equipment, including improved communication systems and protective gear. Both killers received life sentences, and the case remains a defining moment in Danish police history, commemorated annually by law enforcement.
5. **Christine Schürrer Case (1999)**
Nineteen-year-old German tourist Christine Schürrer disappeared while hitchhiking in Denmark in August 1999, her body later found dismembered in a forest. The investigation became Denmark's most extensive missing person case, eventually leading to Peter Lundin, who had killed her during what began as an offered ride. The case highlighted dangers facing young travelers and fundamentally changed how Danish authorities handle missing person investigations involving foreign nationals. Schürrer's disappearance received massive media coverage in both Denmark and Germany, creating international pressure that intensified the investigation and eventually cracked the case.
6. **Kim Wall Submarine Murder (2017)**
Swedish journalist Kim Wall was murdered aboard inventor Peter Madsen's homemade submarine UC3 Nautilus in August 2017 during what was supposed to be an interview. Madsen killed Wall, dismembered her body, and disposed of the remains in Køge Bay, initially claiming she died accidentally. The bizarre circumstances—involving Denmark's most famous amateur inventor, a privately built submarine, and an international journalist—captivated global attention. Madsen received life imprisonment, and the case prompted discussions about journalist safety and the dangers of unchecked celebrity culture around eccentric personalities.
7. **The BLOX Tax Fraud Scandal (1989-1991)**
Danish businessman Erik Damgaard orchestrated one of Scandinavia's largest tax frauds through his company BLOX, defrauding the Danish state of approximately 1.2 billion kroner. The scheme involved fraudulent computer equipment transactions and VAT carousel fraud across multiple countries. When exposed, the scandal rocked Denmark's business community and revealed critical weaknesses in tax authority oversight systems. Damgaard fled to Spain but was eventually extradited, receiving a six-year prison sentence. The case prompted comprehensive reforms to Danish tax law and international cooperation protocols for tracking cross-border financial crimes.
8. **The Murder of Birthe Marie Hansen (1985)**
In November 1985, 14-year-old Birthe Marie Hansen was brutally murdered in Randers, a case that remained unsolved for decades despite being one of Denmark's most investigated crimes. The young girl's death devastated her community and frustrated investigators who pursued numerous leads without resolution. In 2019, advanced DNA technology finally identified the perpetrator, Søren Bernt Jensen, who had died in 2002, providing long-awaited closure to her family. The case demonstrated both the persistence of Danish cold case investigators and the revolutionary impact of forensic DNA analysis in solving historical crimes.
9. **The Kundby Terror Plot (2016)**
Fifteen-year-old Danish girl known only as "the Kundby girl" planned multiple terrorist attacks on schools in Denmark, influenced by ISIS propaganda online. Police discovered homemade bombs in her possession and detailed attack plans targeting two Copenhagen schools and a Jewish school. The case shocked Denmark, representing the country's first ISIS-inspired terror plot by a female minor radicalized entirely through internet contact. She received the maximum sentence for a juvenile offender, and the case intensified debates about online radicalization, mental health interventions, and appropriate responses to teenage extremism in Danish society.
10. **The Tjæreborg Hostage Crisis (1978)**
On August 22, 1978, four armed criminals took 20 people hostage at a Tjæreborg travel agency office in Copenhagen, demanding 15 million kroner and safe passage out of Denmark. The 51-hour standoff became Denmark's first major hostage situation, broadcast live on Danish television and drawing thousands of spectators to the scene. Police negotiators worked tirelessly while tactical units surrounded the building, eventually storming the location and rescuing all hostages unharmed. The perpetrators received lengthy prison sentences, and the incident fundamentally transformed Danish police hostage negotiation protocols and tactical response procedures for barricaded suspects.
---
These ten cases represent defining moments when extraordinary violence disrupted Denmark's reputation as one of the world's safest societies, each prompting legal reforms, investigative innovations, or profound national conversations about justice and security.
