Danish police charge 14 people for sharing 'murder video' of young female tourists

Police in Denmark have charged 14 people, six of whom are aged between 13 and 18 years old, over sharing a video depicting the murder of two hikers killed in Morocco.

A portrait of Louisa Vesterager Jespersen and Maren Ueland at a makeshift in Copenhagen, December 2018

A portrait of Louisa Vesterager Jespersen and Maren Ueland at a makeshift in Copenhagen, December 2018 Source: AP

WARNING: explicit details follow.

Danish police have launched prosecutions against 14 people suspected of sharing on social media the murder video of one of the two young Scandinavian hikers killed in Morocco.

Danish student Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, and 28-year-old Norwegian Maren Ueland were found dead at an isolated hiking spot south of Marrakesh on December 17.

The pair were stabbed, had their throats slit and were then beheaded, according to Morocco's counter-terror chief.

A video circulating on social networks at the time, believed authentic by authorities, showed one of the murders in the High Atlas mountains.

"The 14 people are accused of violating the penal code by sharing the video - usually via Facebook Messenger or other social networks," said East Jutland police chief Michael Kjeldgaard in a statement.

Two of them are also accused of apologising for terrorism, the prosecution told AFP.

Six of those indicted, whose identities have not been revealed, are between 13 and 18 years old.
Moroccan women carry photos of Maren Ueland and Louisa Vesterager Jespersen outside the Danish embassy in Rabat
Moroccan women carry photos of Maren Ueland and Louisa Vesterager Jespersen outside the Danish embassy in Rabat Source: AP
The grisly killings of the hikers shocked Morocco, where tourism is a cornerstone of the economy.

Moroccan authorities have called the killings a "terrorist" act and charged more than 20 people for their alleged involvement.

The authorities allege that the four main suspects in the murder were inspired by the Islamic State group, but say they were not in direct contact with IS members in Iraq or Syria.


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Source: AFP, SBS


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