New York, April 25, 2018--The Committee to Protect Journalists today welcomed the outcome of a trial in Copenhagen at which Danish entrepreneur Peter Madsen was convicted of killing freelance journalist Kim Wall on his submarine in August 2017. Madsen received the maximum sentence of life in prison, according to news reports.
"Danish investigators and prosecutors acted swiftly and thoroughly, resulting in the maximum penalty under the law. Their actions should serve as a model for authorities everywhere that journalists are attacked in the course of their work," said Nina Ognianova, CPJ's Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. "This gruesome crime and the tragic loss of Kim Wall is a reminder that freelance and women journalists in particular can be exposed to great risk, even when they least expect it."