Father found guilty of trying to kill his twins

Court will hand down punishment next week after a determination is made on the man’s mental state

Nov 15, 2013

Copenhagen City Court found a 59-year-old man guilty of the attempted murder of his four-year-old twin daughters yesterday, but the court will have to wait until next week to hand out the punishment because it has not yet been determined if the man was temporarily insane at the moment of the crime.

The father blames the attack on medicine he was taking for his ADHD.

Unquestionable viciousness
The stabbing occurred in August 2012, when the father took a knife to his daughters in the Ronald McDonald patient housing at the city hospital, Rigshospitalet, where the family was staying because one of the girls was receiving dialysis treatment for chronic liver failure.

The court ruled yesterday that the attack on the girls was so vicious that he must have intended to kill them, pointing to evidence that showed the father locking himself in a room with the girls and sending threatening texts to the mother outside the door.

“I mean it! If I see the police then it will be the end of us three,” one of the texts read, according to judge, Sanne Bager.

Permanent injuries sustained
The assault has left both girls with permanent injuries, particularly the one who was already suffering from liver failure.

It was revealed during the case that she had endured spastic paralysis, lost much of her sight and will likely live a shorter life because of her father’s attack.

Punishment in the case is expected to be handed down on November 19.