A special prosecutor is seeking a minimum sentence of 12 years in prison for a 57-year-old man who confessed to raping and attempting to murder an 11-year-old girl in 1999. The crime occurred on a beach near Bøtø on Falster.

Special prosecutor Susanne Bluhm argued for the severe sentence, citing several aggravating circumstances and stating that there were no mitigating factors.

The aggravating circumstances include the victim’s age (11 years old), the particularly dangerous nature of the rape, and the fact that the girl was close to death during the attack, to the point where the defendant believed she had died.

While the penalties for attempted murder remain at six years (with potential increases for aggravating circumstances), the penalties for rape have increased since 1999, necessitating a sentence reflecting the laws in place at the time of the crime.

Bluhm highlighted the serious psychological consequences the rape had on the victim, who is now an adult woman.

The victim’s counsel, Mai-Britt Storm Thygesen, corroborated this, stating that her client continues to suffer severely from the 1999 attack, describing it as having “lost her life.” She is seeking 240,000 kroner in compensation for emotional distress for her client.

The defendant’s lawyer, Janus Malcolm Pedersen, argued that the prosecutor’s requested sentence was excessive and proposed a sentence of no more than eight years.

The verdict in the case is expected later on Wednesday.