“First Person Charged in Emilie Meng Murder Case Brings Relief and Fear to Korsør Residents”

KORSØR (Dagbladet): Emilie Meng (17) was found murdered on Christmas Eve in 2016. Almost seven years later, the police in Denmark have now for the first time charged a person with the murder.

It gives a feeling of both relief and disgust among the citizens of the small town of Korsør in South Zealand where Meng grew up.

– The case has affected the local community very much and for a long time. One has no words, and is shocked that someone can do such horrible things.

This is what local Korsør citizen Ellen Klode (69) says to Dagbladet. She is just one of many locals in the city who took part in a torchlight procession and memorial service for Meng in 2016.

Almost seven years ago, on the night of 10 July 2016, Emilie Meng disappeared from Korsør station on her way home from a city trip.

Almost half a year later, she was found dead in a lake near Borup, more than 60 kilometers from the train station where she was last seen alive.

In the days and weeks later, several hundred volunteers in the local area helped look for her, and since then the case has left a deep mark among the residents of Korsør.

– Naturally to check matters in Norway

– The tears pressed on

– Everyone was very affected and scared in 2016. I myself had a granddaughter in the same age group, and I also told her parents that she must not go alone in the evening, says Kolde.

The 69-year-old watched the press conference on Wednesday when Sydsjælland and Lolland-Falster’s Police in Denmark announced that the 32-year-old man, who is also charged with abducting and raping Filippa (13), is now also charged with deprivation of liberty, rape and the murder of Emilie Meng.

– I can’t describe what I was thinking. The tears pressed on. If it is him, then it is a relief, but it also means that the gruesome details will come to light again, says Klode.

– Children are scared

Several residents of the city describe a feeling of nervousness even after it became known that the 32-year-old man has been charged with the murder.

One of them is Peter Mortensen (23), who works as a teacher at one of the primary schools in the city.

– It is frightening to think that you cannot look at people if they are an abuser. It could be a “normal” person walking next to me on the street, or a neighbour. I find that very scary to think about, he says.

Mortensen says he can also clearly see that the case affects the children at school.

– Many of the children are scared and think the case is scary. Some of the children say “what happens if he comes back?”.

– At school we say that you shouldn’t be afraid of him in particular, because he has been caught, he says.

Nevertheless, he says that many parents have also taken their precautions in recent days and accompanied their children to school.

– You notice that a fear has emerged in the local community about whether there should suddenly be a new perpetrator, he says.

– Shocking

Olga Rombalska (39) has lived in Korsør for 17 years. She remembers well the large search operations in 2016.

– Many were very worried. People searched for her for days. I am a mother myself and I know that the case affected the parents in the city a lot, because it is scary when a young girl disappears like that, she says and adds:

– There are many who have not felt completely safe in Korsør in the following years. One does not expect such things to happen here.

In the time after Meng disappeared, the 39-year-old was often nervous about walking alone at night.

– At that time, I often passed the train station where she disappeared, and long afterwards I myself was very conscious of walking in streets where there was light, says Rombalska.

She hopes that an explanation in the case can lead to the local population being able to relax.

– I think we would all feel safer if the matter is now cleared up. But it is still shocking that you have lived so close to a person who is now accused of rape and murder.