Three men have been sentenced to prison by the Copenhagen City Court for a hate-motivated assault on New Year’s Eve between 2023 and 2024. The Copenhagen Police released a statement regarding the sentencing.

The men, two aged 18 and one aged 20, encountered the two victims on Rådhuspladsen (City Hall Square) in Copenhagen. They directed homophobic slurs at the victims before physically assaulting them with punches, kicks, and stomps to the body and head.

The court found the three men guilty of aggravated assault against one victim and assault against the other.

One of the 18-year-old convicts filmed the assault and shared it on social media, leading to an additional conviction. He received a total sentence of eight months in prison and a six-month ban from nightlife.

The 20-year-old received a sentence of ten months in prison and, as a Pakistani citizen, faces a warning about potential deportation. Both the 20-year-old and the 18-year-old who filmed the assault have accepted their sentences.

The other 18-year-old was sentenced to six months in prison and is considering an appeal.

Prosecutor Sebrina Blaaberg stated that the prosecution presented evidence demonstrating that the assault was motivated by the victims’ sexual orientation, resulting in increased prison sentences for the convicted men. She expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision to enhance the sentences based on this evidence.