Dane in New York to be released on bail

Parents of Danish 22-year-old arrested on sex charges raised one million kroner to get him free

A 22-year-old Danish man accused by a colleague of sexually abusing 13 preschool children in New York will be released on bail today and free to leave the heightened security prison on Rikers Island, Ekstra Bladet reports.

He will stand trial on August 15 unless his lawyer manages to convince the court to dismiss the case.

The judge ruled yesterday that he could be released on bail for one million kroner, even though the prosecutor had demanded five million.

READ MORE: Danish man accused of sexually abusing 13 preschool children in New York

But he is not a free man yet. Until the case has been settled, the Danish man must wear an electronic tag so police can trace him at all times. That means he isn't allowed to leave Manhattan either, and he's prohibited from going within 61 metres (200 feet) of all schools or parks.

Mothers relieved
His biological mother and adoptive mother were both present in court and obviously relieved to know they could get him out of jail for one million kroner.

"We thought the judge meant we should pay twice the amount," his biological mother Birgitte Thomsen told Ekstra Bladet.

"But we are very relieved that we can get him out and we are thankful to all of those who made it possible for us with their tribute."

A support group on Facebook has also raised 100,000 kroner to help the man cover his losses in the wake of the case.

Meanwhile, his accuser, who was fired from her job as an assistant teacher at the preschool in June – less than a month after claiming she witnessed the abuse – has apparently left the country and is currently in Greece.





  • How internationals can benefit from joining trade unions

    How internationals can benefit from joining trade unions

    Being part of a trade union is a long-established norm for Danes. But many internationals do not join unions – instead enduring workers’ rights violations. Find out how joining a union could benefit you, and how to go about it.

  • Internationals in Denmark rarely join a trade union

    Internationals in Denmark rarely join a trade union

    Internationals are overrepresented in the lowest-paid fields of agriculture, transport, cleaning, hotels and restaurants, and construction – industries that classically lack collective agreements. A new analysis from the Workers’ Union’s Business Council suggests that internationals rarely join trade unions – but if they did, it would generate better industry standards.

  • Novo Nordisk overtakes LEGO as the most desirable future workplace amongst university students

    Novo Nordisk overtakes LEGO as the most desirable future workplace amongst university students

    The numbers are especially striking amongst the 3,477 business and economics students polled, of whom 31 percent elected Novo Nordisk as their favorite, compared with 20 percent last year.