Social Affairs Minister Benedikte Kiær (K) is asking the parents of the youth, who in recent days have been throwing stones and committing vandalism against a residents associations in Slagelse, to take responsibility.
"This is a police issue and so the parents of the youth need to take responsibility. They are doing something illegal. They bother other residents, but they're also ruining it for their families, who might risk being evicted," Benedikte Kiær told TV 2 News.
She intervened in the matter after urging by the Danish People's Party, headed by the chairman of the parliament social affairs committee, Martin Henriksen. He wanted a response from the social minister, the integration minister and justice minister.
Stone throwing and Anger
The case is about a room under a local snack-bar in the neighborhood around Ringparken and Nordbyen in Slagelse, which is meant to be used as the premises of the association but is also sometimes used for prayer. The local branch of the resident's association thinks that the visitors make noise and cause a mess.
They got the board of the resident's association to send a letter to the residents, which asks to close the prayer room. The letter is supposedly the reason for the stone throwing and arson in the area over the weekend.
Police brought calm
Last night there was still unrest in the area, but the neighborhood residents and the police presence brought calm.
Vice police inspector at the Slagelse police, Jan Schmidt, told Sjællandske that there are doubts about the fire safety in the room. But he says the letter sent by the local branch board probably caused the unrest in the area.
"It's probably the reason for this," Jan Schmidt says.
"Some of the youth are very impulsive, and some of them are also aggressive and therefore they act a bit rashly and it's unfortunate since it's not the right way to respond," he told TV 2 Øst.
Source: Berlingske Tidende (Danish)
