Danish government to go to court to ban criminal gang

Danish legal history will be made in a case where the state prosecutor will attempt to get the court’s agreement that Loyal to Familia should be disbanded

Stephen Gadd

Jun 29, 2018

One of the two main protagonists in the 2017 Gang War in the Copenhagen city districts of Nørrebro and Nordvest was Loyal to Familia (LTF).

The gang has already managed to rack up sentences amounting to 127 years imprisonment for 15 of its members for criminal offences, and at present 30 members of the gang are accused of a number of crimes including murder and attempted murder in six other cases.

Putting his food down
The justice minister, Søren Pape Poulsen, has finally had enough, and after exhaustive preparatory work, which included going through 10,000 pages of documents, the state prosecutor is ready to go to court to try and get the gang dissolved.

The case is a landmark one because it would be the first time in Denmark’s history that the constitutional right of forming an association would be tested.

In order for the case to succeed the prosecution will have to prove that LTF is an association under the terms of the Danish Constitution and that it has criminal intent, reports Politiken.

“That members of LTF have committed violent crimes is obvious to most people, but I also think we can prove that they do it as an association,” said public prosecutor Jan Reckendorff.

“And that is despite the fact that LTF is not an association in the classic sense of the word, with annual general meetings and articles of association,” added Reckndorff.

Constitution no protection for criminals
The minister has long wanted to take this step. “It has never been the intention of the constitution that deeply criminal gangs blazing away indiscriminately on our streets should be protected by the right of association,” said Poulsen.

“LTF has been the prime mover in the violent gang warfare that has created a climate of fear and insecurity across all of Denmark with murders and shootings on the streets … that’s why a case will be brought against LTF to get the gang dissolved,” added the minister.

The prosecution is also investigating whether a temporary ban can be imposed on LTF until the courts have time to find out whether the gang can be disbanded permanently. That decision is expected to be reached by August.

It is not yet know when the case will come before the courts.

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