Danish submarine inventor loses appeal against life sentence for killing Swedish journalist Kim Wall
Judges agreed with prosecutor that the murder was Peter Madsen’s ‘sadistic, inhuman, sexual fantasy’ and he deserved maximum punishment
Danish submarine inventor Peter Madsen, convicted of torturing and murdering Swedish reporter Kim Wall last year, lost his appeal against his life sentence on Wednesday, soon after he apologised to the victim’s family.
The 47-year-old listened quietly as Judge Jan Uffe Rasmussen read the ruling by the Eastern High Court. Rasmussen said the court had reached the same conclusion as Copenhagen City Court, which sentenced Madsen to life after convicting him of murder.
In Denmark, a life sentence is on average 16 years, but can be extended if necessary. Madsen, 47, wanted a time-limited sentence, not an open-ended prison term.
The prosecutor argued that the life sentence should be upheld, saying the motive was sexual and the crime planned.
“I’m terribly sorry to Kim’s relatives for what happened,” Madsen told the judges as he was given the last word. Ingrid and Joachim Wall, the reporter’s parents, were in the court.