Former Social Democratic minister Henrik Sass Larsen maintains his innocence in a case where he is charged with possession of child abuse material, despite admitting to downloading film sequences and abuse material with children. His defender, Berit Ernst, argues that he should be acquitted or granted immunity from punishment.

The case centers around over 6,200 images and 2,200 film sequences with child abuse material. Sass Larsen claims he downloaded the material to find instances of himself as a child being abused.

Sass Larsen stated that in 2018 he received a link in an email leading to a video clip of a sexual assault against himself when he was three years old in 1969. B.T. has not verified the video’s existence.

Ernst argues that the law was not intended to punish situations like Sass Larsen’s, where the individual claims to be searching for material related to their own abuse. She emphasizes that the law aims to prevent people from possessing and viewing such material for sexual enjoyment, which she claims is not the case here.

The lawyer plans to cite previous legal precedents to support her argument when the case goes to the Copenhagen City Court on August 21.

Sass Larsen also faces charges related to possessing a child doll constructed with a sexual purpose, which he denies as well. Ernst declined to comment on potential punishments if the court does not acquit him or grant immunity.