Danish taxpayers foot bill for pirate’s prosthetics after gunfight with navy

Lucky Frances was granted asylum in Denmark despite being convicted of piracy

Denmark will pay for a prosthetic limb and “integration plan” for a Nigerian pirate who attacked its navy, following lengthy litigation that cost Danish taxpayers the equivalent of $615,000, according to local media.

Lucky Frances, 42, was part of a group of pirates that attempted to board Danish frigate the Esbern Snare in 2021. The vessel was on a patrol mission in international waters in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Nigeria. Four pirates were killed in an exchange of gunfire, while Frances sustained a gunshot wound to his leg. He was taken to Denmark for treatment, where his limb was eventually amputated.

Frances was found guilty by a Copenhagen court of endangering the lives of naval personnel but was spared jail time due to his medical condition. Despite initially claiming he wanted to return to Nigeria, Frances later applied for asylum in Denmark and received a residence permit in January of this year.

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As part of the “integration contract,” he received an education and employment plan to help him adapt to Danish society and the labor market, local media reported last week. While his request for compensation was rejected, the court ruled that the state should pay for his new prosthetic leg.

The decision was criticized by opposition politicians, with Mikkel Bjorn, spokesman for the right-wing Danish People’s Party, calling it “absolutely absurd.”

“That man should never have been in Denmark, and to imagine that he can now be meaningfully integrated here is completely unrealistic,” Bjorn said.

“I can’t see how he can make a meaningful contribution to Danish society,” he added, insisting that Frances belongs in “prison or in a closed immigration center.” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen echoed those concerns, stating that she “cannot defend this decision.”

According to Danish media, the litigation alone cost taxpayers the equivalent of $615,000, with additional expenses expected for Frances’ rehabilitation and integration.