The parties in the Folketing have agreed to carry out an investigation into the ownership, shipowner and insurance conditions surrounding Scandinavian Star in relation to the arson on the night of 7 April 1990.
The arson that claimed the lives of 159 people remains unsolved. The investigation, which is set to last 11/2 years, could provide the basis for a proper police investigation into the arson. Søren Søndergaard, The Unity List's Scandinavian Star spokesperson from 1994-2005 and again from 2015, says: – The Scandinavian Star arson, with 159 dead and thousands of survivors and relatives with wounds on his soul, is the biggest crime in Scandinavia since World War II. It is therefore a legal scandal that shipowners, owners and insurance have never been investigated by police in relation to the arson. This study is now being made up for this, which is intended to clarify the possibility of a proper police investigation. – 24 years ago I helped to make a proposal in the Folketing that the ownership of Scandinavian Star should be investigated. That is why it is with great pleasure, but also with a certain sadness, that this is finally happening. Then and since then it has been rejected and one has to wonder why it would be so many years before it is investigated who was actually behind the ship where 159 people were killed in an arson? That story still needs to be told. – For over 31 years, this case has been an open wound – not only for those directly affected, but also for the legal consciousness. I would therefore like to thank all those who have contributed to us now being able to go a step further in this matter. This applies to support groups in Denmark and Norway, tenacious journalists, but also Justice Minister Nick Haekkerup, who had the courage to acknowledge that there has never been a police investigation into these crucial matters. – Today my thoughts go out to the survivors of the fire and the many relatives of the dead. They deserve this matter to be fully investigated. With this agreement, we have taken the first step.