Kim Wall: Headless torso identified as missing Swedish journalist

A headless torso found in waters near Copenhagen has been identified as that of missing Swedish journalist Kim Wall, police said.

Copenhagen police said there was a DNA match between the torso found on Monday and the 30-year-old journalist, who was last seen alive on August 10 as she departed on a submarine trip with inventor Peter Madsen.

The submarine sank hours after the search for Ms Wall began and Mr Madsen was charged with manslaughter.

After the torso was discovered by a passing cyclist, police said the arms, legs and head had been deliberately cut off.

Police confirmed it had been identified as Ms Wall on Twitter and declined to comment further ahead of a press briefing on Wednesday morning.

The freelance journalist, who was reported missing by her boyfriend, had been researching a feature about Madsen and his submarine.

Danish inventor Madsen, charged with killing Ms Wall on his home-made submarine, told a court she had died in an accident and that he "buried" her at sea, changing his previous statement that he dropped her off alive in Copenhagen. He denies the charge.

He was rescued a day on August 11 after his UC3 Nautilus sank. Police found nobody else on the vessel.

Danish and Swedish maritime authorities used divers, sonar and helicopters in the search for the body in Koge Bay, south of the city, and in the Oresund Strait between the two countries.

Madsen, an entrepreneur, artist, submarine builder and aerospace engineer, appeared before a judge on August 12 for preliminary questioning. The case is not open to the public to protect further investigations, police said.