Hi, everyone. My mother is a Danish citizen living in Denmark. She just reached out to me and told me that she was sexually assaulted by her massage therapist today. He groped her breasts (including her nipples) and butt repeatedly while breathing in her ear and telling her how beautiful she is. She froze, because she was terrified in this situation, and now isn't sure what to do. I'm in America and am unfamiliar with Danish laws. Can she report him to a kind of better business bureau or go to the police? What options do we have for making sure this doesn't happen to anyone else? Thank you so much for any insight you can provide!
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The original was posted on /r/denmark by /u/OvalOvaries at 2024-02-06 17:34:50+00:00.
wynnduffyisking at 2024-02-06 22:04:46+00:00 ID:
kp8qefsI really fail to see how it could get expensive. She can press charges and if the police and the prosecutors office finds that there is a case that will hold up in court they will indict him. It really does not require anything on her part except providing police with the relevant information and probably testify in court. If it goes to court she can probably also submit a claim for damages against him as part of the criminal proceedings.
romedo at 2024-02-06 22:51:48+00:00 ID:
kp8yi3jThis is criminal matter, be aware that civil lawsuits are not as common in Denmark, so suing for damages etc. beyond what might be granted in a criminal case is quite rare.
wynnduffyisking at 2024-02-06 22:58:09+00:00 ID:
kp8zknmNot quite sure what your point is in relation to my comment
romedo at 2024-02-06 23:04:09+00:00 ID:
kp90kmqNaahh it should most likely have nested under the comment above, but good for you to not miss an opportunity to take offense.
wynnduffyisking at 2024-02-06 23:06:41+00:00 ID:
kp90zikDude I just asked a question
AggravatingAd4758 at 2024-02-07 01:58:11+00:00 ID:
kp9s12dAt least in Sweden you would be getting some form of compensation from the perpetrator
wynnduffyisking at 2024-02-07 13:35:19+00:00 ID:
kpbtntgYou Can in Denmark as well. You just submit your claim during the criminal trial so you don’t have to spend your money to file a civil case. Not a lot, but it’s still something.
smuttenDK at 2024-02-07 14:03:45+00:00 ID:
kpbxlqnI'm the US, you have to pay for your own legal defense. There is no guarantee that the loosing party will cover legal costs, you have to counter sue for that, and often won't get close to enough to cover your costs. It's... Incredibly dystopian
wynnduffyisking at 2024-02-07 14:20:58+00:00 ID:
kpc02t0If it’s a civil case here in Denmark then both parties pay for their own representation. If you win then the standard practice is that the court determines an amount that the losing party has to pay you to cover your legal costs. However, that amount practically never covers the full amount - often it’s not even close. So even if you win it will still cost you. And then you can be forced to spent even more money collecting on the judgement if the other party is a dick or just broke. So Unless you have an insurance policy that covers legal disputes you can often have that same problem here.
In a criminal case (which I assume this is) both the defendant and some times the victim will have the opportunity to get legal representation paid by the state and the victim can submit a claim of compensation. If convicted the defendant will often be ordered to pay both the compensation and the cost of legal representation as well. But the victim won’t be on the hook for any of it. However the amounts you can be awarded are laughable. It’s not unusual for a rape victim to be awarded the equivalent of like $10.000. In a case such as OP’s mother’s where it is not legally categorized as rape any awarded amount would likely be much smaller.
Anyway, I hope OP’s mom presses charges both for her own sake and the sake of this guy’s other patients and potential victims. I really don’t see how that could hurt her financially unless she starts a campaign against him on social media or something where she could run the risk of a defamation claim.