Frank Jensen, the mayor of Copenhagen in Denmark, stepped down from his post after being accused of sexual abuse and improper behaviour by nine of his young collaborators.
Jensen, who had served as mayor since 2010, also quit from his position as deputy of Denmark’s governing Social Democratic Party.
The resignation came after two women – including a former employee of the said party – described being sexually harassed in 2012 and 2017, as described by Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten.
Prior to the said dates, Jensen was also accused of violating two young women in connection with Christmas lunches in 2004 and 2011.
In a Facebook post, Jensen apologized to the women he had violated and promised to be part of a changing society in Denmark.
“I myself have been a part of a bad, unhealthy, but also old and rooted culture in our party,” he said. “I will do anything to ensure that we get together across gender, parties, unions, and business to change our entire community culture.”
Jensen said he wanted to transition from being a part of the problem to being a part of the solution.
The mayor is one of the most influential and prominent politicians in Denmark having made Copenhagen one of the greenest and most sustainable capitals in Europe.
“They asked me to stay, but I slept on it, and in the end, with a cold mind I decided to throw in the towel,” he said.
“A choice to ignore the accusations and stay in office would have undermined my work and weighed like a shadow on all the great projects that our capital needs and continues to accomplish. I resign and apologize to the women I have offended,” he added.
Cecilie Sværke Priess, chairman of the Danish Social Democratic Youth (DSU) in Copenhagen lauded the mayor’s resignation albeit calling it a delayed #MeToo movement.
“Today we have proven that it has consequences – also for a mayor – not to be aware of his power and thus his responsibility,” Priess said in a Twitter post.
Photo from Flickr
