Lots of unsolved assault cases in Tórshavn

One in three assault cases in Tórshavn in 2020 remain unsolved, according to police figures.

“There are many reasons why police do not solve all such cases,” says chief police prosecutor Katrin Thorsvig Hansen.

“The most common reasons are a lack of witnesses and that too much alcohol is involved for any meaningful investigative work to take place.”

 >> SEE ALSO Mayor wants law change on CCTV

There has been a longstanding debate about installing CCTV cameras in busy nightlife areas. Proponents say this would aid police investigations, while opponents say such cameras would violate data privacy laws.

Prime Minister Bárður á Steig Nielsen said recently that there is political support for amending privacy laws to accommodate CCTV surveillance in high-risk areas.

Chief prosecutor Hansen says that CCTV cameras would indeed be useful for police investigations but adds that their primary purpose should be to act as a deterrent to crime.

Read the Faroese version of this article here.

More Faroese News in English.