Kim Wall: Swedish journalist 'killed by hatch in homemade submarine falling on her', claims inventor Peter Madsen
Inventor tells court he tried to bury reporter at sea and intended to take his own life inside submarine
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Swedish journalist Kim Wall died in an accident when she was hit by a heavy hatch cover on board a homemade submarine, the Danish owner of the submarine told a court.
Peter Madsen was holding the hatch for Wall as they sailed in the strait between Denmark and Sweden last month on a submarine he had built, he told a Danish court on Tuesday.
“I lose my foothold and the hatch shuts,” he said. “Kim had been severely hurt and was laying with an intense bleeding. There was a pool of blood where she had landed.”
He said he tried to bury her at sea and intended to take his own life inside the submarine. On 23 August, police identified a headless female torso that washed ashore in Copenhagen as Wall’s. The cause of her death has not been determined .
The police have charged Madsen with killing the Swedish journalist, a charge carrying a sentence of five years to life in prison. He was arrested after his submarine sank and he was rescued.
The Copenhagen district court will rule on whether to extend his custody and on what charges.
Ms Wall was an experienced foreign correspondent who had reported from Uganda, Haiti and Sri Lanka. Her mother said: “She gave voice to the weak, vulnerable and marginalised people. That voice had been needed for a long, long time, now it has been silenced.”
Police announced last month they believed Ms Wall’s body had been weighed down “likely with the purpose to make it sink”.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments