Danish prisoners banned from romantic relationships after teenager fell in love with 'Submarine Killer' Peter Madsen

Prisoners serving life sentences in Denmark will be stopped from entering into new romantic relationships to counter the phenomenon of criminal "groupies".

The announcement was made by the justice ministry yesterday/WEDS, after a young woman announced she was conducting a romantic relationship with a man who murdered a young journalist on a submarine.

"We have seen disgusting examples in recent years of prisoners who have committed abominable crimes contacting young people in order to gain their sympathy and attention," Nick Haekkerup, the justice minister, said in a statement.

"This must obviously be stopped,” the minister added. “Lifers... should not be able to use our prisons as dating centres or media platforms to brag about their crimes."

The ban on new relationships will apply during the first 10 years of a prisoner's sentence, restricting them to letter or telephone contact only with people already close to them prior to their detention.

Recently a young woman revealed that aged 17 she had fallen in love with Peter Madsen while he was in custody after he brutally killed journalist Kim Wall, 30, in his homemade submarine in 2017.

Cammilla Kürstein admitted that she exchanged letters and talked on the phone with Madsen over the course of two years, falling in love with him. She became jealous when he married Jenny Curpen, a 39-year-old Russian woman, while he was behind bars in 2020.

“I would like her place. I was very sad inside,” she told Danish outlet Her & Nu upon learning of the wedding. “I think maybe he would have chosen differently if I was older.”

Ms Kürstein has since said the relationship is now over, saying she realised she was being manipulated and that Madsen only “pretended” to listen to her.

The six-point bill would also put an end to long-term prisoners being allowed to freely post about their offences on social media or discuss them on podcasts.

The proposal would also require a prisoner to serve 10 years before temporary release can be granted, up from two or four years currently. It is expected to pass the Danish Parliament this autumn and come into force in 2022.