A 42-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to rape charges stemming from an incident in August 2017. The preliminary hearing took place at the Copenhagen City Court, where the man denied the charges against him.

The man’s arrest occurred on Monday in a police district separate from Copenhagen Police. He appeared in court on Tuesday, where a request was made for his pre-trial detention, which was granted for four weeks.

According to the indictment, the rape is classified as particularly dangerous and committed under aggravated circumstances. The indictment details that the accused allegedly grabbed the victim forcefully by the neck, threatening to kill her if she did not comply with his demands. The accused chose not to speak during the court hearing.

The man was seen in court wearing black jogging trousers, a white shirt, and black shoes. The judge ordered the preliminary hearing to be held behind closed doors to protect the victim.

The alleged rape occurred on August 3, 2017, in Amager. Police reports from 2017 indicate that the victim was attacked in a basement while walking home from a night out. Initial investigations failed to identify a suspect.

A breakthrough in the case occurred on Monday after nearly eight years. The 42-year-old was recently arrested and charged in connection with a separate case in another part of Denmark, leading police to take a DNA sample.

Analysis of the DNA sample revealed a match, strongly suggesting that the suspect’s DNA was found on the victim after the rape. Copenhagen Police have not disclosed the location or reason for the man’s recent arrest in the other case.

A name ban has been imposed on the accused man.