[News] Danish murder on Bornholm island raises tension in race debate

[NANO]

When a young black man was murdered on the idyllic Danish island of Bornholm, it emerged one of the suspects had swastika tattoos.

The killing of the 28-year-old, who had a Danish father and a Tanzanian mother, coincided with a vigorous debate about racism in Denmark. But police are adamant there was no racial motive.  Rights groups have reacted by questioning whether potential hate crimes are being seriously investigated.The man's body was found last month at a woodland campground in Bornholm, a po[CENSORED]r holiday getaway destination in the Baltic Sea.  Two white men, brothers aged 23 and 25, have been charged with the killing. The pair, who cannot be named, both admit to violence, but pleaded not guilty to manslaughter.  According to court documents the victim was struck by wooden beams and a bottle. He suffered multiple knife wounds, burns and a possible skull fracture. A knee was also pressed against his throat. The circumstances have driven speculation that the crime was racially motivated, and prompted parallels to be drawn to George Floyd, the African-American who died in Minneapolis when a police officer held a knee against his neck for several minutes.  A video clip purportedly showing the older brother, with his lower leg tattooed with two swastikas and the words "white power" has also been shared on social media.  Black Lives Matter Denmark labelled it a "racist copycat honour killing" on Facebook. Various other rights groups, politicians and commentators have also pointed to racism.

However local authorities took the exceptional step of publicly ruling it out.  "I have been out saying that they have a personal thing, and it hasn't in my opinion anything to do with racism," Benthe Pedersen Lund, the prosecutor handling the case, tells the BBC.  The charges were read out at a custody hearing on 24 June, at the courthouse in Bornholm's main town of Roenne, but the rest of the proceedings are being heard behind closed doors.  No further details have been made public, including what this "personal" motive might be.The victim grew up on Bornholm. He was visiting his family, after recently completing his engineering studies.

Friends described him as well liked, and his social media posts revealed a love of motivational messages and an interest in science and the environment.The accused also come from Bornholm. Locals have told Danish media the older brother and victim were even friends, and doubted that racism was involved.  Besides the swastika there are other indications the older brother allegedly held far-right views. His Facebook page carries the slogan "White Lives Matter".  In another photo, he's wearing a flat cap and holding his hand in a V-sign, a gesture associated with supporters of Stram Kurs (Hard Line), a Danish far-right group.Local media revealed the brother had attended a Stram Kurs event in June, but was thrown out.

Several people told Danish media he had previously made racist remarks.  The younger brother has no known far-right affiliations.