Danish government plans double sentences for gang-related economic crime
Certain types of economic crime will carry double sentences in future if there is a link to organised crime, Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard says.
Violent crimes like shootings can already be given a ‘double’ punishment if there is a gang-link, and this concept could now be extended to non-violent gang crimes, Hummelgaard said in an interview with newspaper Børsen on Sunday.
“In reality, we want to make gangs’ economic crimes equal to their violent crime. And we want to do more to put a stop to that activity,” Hummelgaard said.
The proposed law change will be part of a broader package of measures aimed at cracking down on gang crime, the minister said in the interview.
Specifically, the proposal could see crimes including money laundering and fraud become punishable under paragraph 81a of Denmark’s criminal code.
That is the paragraph that already provides for double sentences for shootings that are found to be linked to organised crime.
In the proposal, the government also wants to introduce a measure it is calling “Al Capone partnerships” with local authorities, designed to prevent gang members from fraudulently claiming social welfare benefits.
A similar proposal was put forward by the previous, single-party Social Democratic government was never signed into law because of last November’s general election. The Social Democrats now govern in coalition with the Moderate and Liberal parties.
The first half of 2023 has seen some 636 formal police charges against members of biker gangs and other criminal gangs. The charges relate to various crime types including money laundering, data fraud and fraud, according to Justice Ministry data reported by Børsen.
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Violent crimes like shootings can already be given a ‘double’ punishment if there is a gang-link, and this concept could now be extended to non-violent gang crimes, Hummelgaard said in an interview with newspaper Børsen on Sunday.
“In reality, we want to make gangs’ economic crimes equal to their violent crime. And we want to do more to put a stop to that activity,” Hummelgaard said.
The proposed law change will be part of a broader package of measures aimed at cracking down on gang crime, the minister said in the interview.
Specifically, the proposal could see crimes including money laundering and fraud become punishable under paragraph 81a of Denmark’s criminal code.
That is the paragraph that already provides for double sentences for shootings that are found to be linked to organised crime.
In the proposal, the government also wants to introduce a measure it is calling “Al Capone partnerships” with local authorities, designed to prevent gang members from fraudulently claiming social welfare benefits.
A similar proposal was put forward by the previous, single-party Social Democratic government was never signed into law because of last November’s general election. The Social Democrats now govern in coalition with the Moderate and Liberal parties.
The first half of 2023 has seen some 636 formal police charges against members of biker gangs and other criminal gangs. The charges relate to various crime types including money laundering, data fraud and fraud, according to Justice Ministry data reported by Børsen.
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