For eight years, the family of then 16-year-old Danish girl, Emilie Meng, lived in uncertainty about what happened to their daughter. Now, they have their answer, and a young man has been found guilty of the murder. This is reported by our Danish editorial team at Dagens.dk, who are present in the court today.
On July 10, 2016, 16-year-old Emilie Meng vanished without a trace while on her way home from a night out. Her body was discovered six months later, on December 24, many kilometers from her home. It took eight years and two new cases before the perpetrator was finally identified.
The murder of Emilie Meng is one of the most talked-about murder cases in recent Danish history. The young girl's sudden disappearance baffled many, and the police have admitted that they were too slow to take the case seriously, initially suspecting that she had run away.
This error allowed the perpetrator to remain at large, and if he had not acted on his urge to target another young girl, he might never have been found.
The breakthrough in Emilie Meng's murder case occurred only because 33-year-old Phillip Patrick Westh chose to kidnap a 13-year-old girl in April 2023.
The same police chief who led this investigation was determined not to let another girl lose her life, and the case was treated with utmost urgency from the start.
Within just 24 hours, they had identified a 32-year-old man, and the 13-year-old girl was found bound at his address. The incident bore significant similarities to what had happened to Emilie Meng, prompting the police to investigate whether the 32-year-old could be the missing perpetrator.
A few days later, the police held a press conference announcing that the 32-year-old man had been charged with the murder of Emilie Meng.
Now, 14 months later, the verdict has been delivered. The now 33-year-old Patrick Phillip Westh has been found guilty of prolonged deprivation of liberty and sexual assault on the 13-year-old girl, who chose to be present in court today. He has also been found guilty of attempted murder, as the court believes he was on the verge of taking the life of the 13-year-old girl.
Last but not least, he has been found guilty of the murder of 16-year-old Emilie Meng, committed when he was 25 years old.
The sentencing will take place later, but based on previous court cases, it is expected that the 33-year-old man will be placed in indefinite detention, as is the practice in Denmark. Therefore, it is not anticipated that he will ever set foot outside prison again.
