Cyclist debacle highlights publication ban shortcomings

Government coalition party Socialdemokraterne blames the media for the dilemma

A number of experts and politicians have called for a change to publication bans, which are issued by courts to prevent the identification of individuals in ongoing cases, following their failure in a number of prominent cases.

Late last week, BT tabloid wrote that a prominent Danish sportsman had been charged with sexually abusing a girl under the age of 12. Former Danish professional cyclist Brian Holm then stepped forward, feeling he had been forced to reveal that the article was referring to him despite a publication ban applying in the case.

“A publication ban does not adequately protect the person it is designed to protect,” Jørgen Lange, the head of the Danish criminal law committee, told Berlingske newspaper.

“The rules should undergo some change so that we can have publication bans that protect people right away.”

READ MORE: Danish cycling legend charged with sexually abusing a girl under the age of 12

Politicians split
Earlier publication ban failures involving prominent people include the revealing of jetsetter Rigmor Zobel’s cocaine case in 2009 and rapper LOC’s charges of violence in 2012.

On the political front, opposition parties Socialistisk Folkeparti and Dansk Folkeparti agreed that a change should be looked at, but government coalition party Socialdemokraterne maintained that it is the media that needs to curtail its practices involving people protected by the publication ban.

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