New Danish law strips murderers of their automatic rights to custody

Following a controversial case in April, the Danish government changes the legislation to ensure children’s best interests

Lucie Rychla

The interior minister, Karen Ellemann, signed an agreement today with all the parliamentary parties to change the law in cases when one parent causes the death of the other.

By amending the Parental Responsibility Act, the government wants to ensure the children’s best interests are always considered.

Assessing child’s welfare 
The current procedure of giving custody to the surviving parent has thereby been abolished.

From now on, the state administration will assess the specifics of each case to determine whether the surviving parent is fit to retain custody.

In April, the case of Hafida Bourouih was hotly debated when her ex-husband won custody of their two children while awaiting trial for her murder.

READ MORE: No more automatic custody for killers, promises minister

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