The Danish government wants to ban prisoners serving life sentences from entering new relationships, saying inmates "should not have the opportunity to spend time in prisons dating or advertising their crimes on, for example, social media."

The move follows the controversy around Peter Madsen, known as 'the submarine killer,' who is involved in a new romance with a 17-year-old who revealed she had fallen in love with Madsen while he was in custody.

Madsen was given a life sentence in 2018 after being found guilty of the murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall, 30, who he lured aboard his homemade submarine with the promise of an interview.

The trial revealed Madsen sexually assaulted the reporter, then dismembered her body and dumped it at sea, in what police considered an attempt at destroying evidence of the crime. Madsen admitted to throwing Wall's body parts in the Baltic Sea but always denied murdering the reporter, which he claims died accidentally inside the submarine. 

He's serving the most severe punishment under the Danish penal code, a life sentence, which in Denmark is usually 16 to 17 years long, with the possibility of an extension if the person is considered likely to commit another crime.

Inmates in Danish prisons serving a long sentence are currently allowed to be in contact with people outside by telephone, letter and visits, an opportunity that allowed Madsen to marry Russian artist in exile Jenny Curpen while in prison after a long correspondence and visits, and then form a long-distance relationship with Camilla Kurstein, who was 17 at the time.

"In recent years, we have seen distasteful examples of inmates who have committed bestial crimes contacting very young people, to gain their sympathy and attention. 

Of course, we have to stop that," said Justice Minister Nick Haekkerup this week, after submitting a bill to lawmakers that, if passed, will restrict inmates serving life sentences from contacting new people outside during the first 10 years of detention.

Correspondence and visitation rights will remain for people the inmates knew before incarceration. If approved by the Danish Parliament, the 179-seat Folketing, the ban would come into force on January 1, 2022.

The center-right opposition, which has long been calling to limit prison visitation rights, has already said it backs the proposal. 

Cover image: AFP