In mid-April 2023, a 13-year-old girl's ordinary afternoon took a catastrophic turn when a car deliberately rammed her as she distributed newspapers in the small Danish village of Kirkerup. The driver forced her into the vehicle and took her to his residence, where she would spend the next 27 hours tied with plastic cable ties, subjected to sexual abuse, violence, and threats.

That driver was Philip Patrick Westh, a 32-year-old marketing manager whose name would become synonymous with one of Denmark's most disturbing crime series. When police were notified of the girl's disappearance, the investigation moved with urgency. Within approximately 27 hours, officers located her alive at Westh's home and arrested him on the scene.

The charges Westh faced in connection with the Kirkerup case were severe: long-term deprivation of liberty, rape and sexual offences, violence and threats, and attempted murder. In court, Westh admitted to the kidnapping, sexual activity other than intercourse, illegal coercion, and violence against the girl. He also confessed to possessing child pornography. However, he maintained his innocence regarding the attempted murder charge—a plea that would prove irrelevant once the full scope of his crimes came to light.

**The Broader Pattern of Violence**

The Kirkerup abduction was not an isolated incident. Westh's arrest opened the door to investigating several other serious crimes. In April 2023, authorities charged him with the murder of Emilie Meng, a 17-year-old girl who had disappeared after a football match in Korsør on July 10, 2016. Her body was discovered nearly three months later, on September 10, 2016—a cold case that had haunted Denmark for years.

Westh was also charged with the attempted abduction and attempted rape of a 15-year-old girl at an efterskole (boarding school) in Sorø.

In June 2024, the Næs trial court delivered its verdict: Westh was convicted of the murder of Emilie Meng, the kidnapping and rape of the 13-year-old from Kirkerup, and the attempted abduction and attempted rape of the 15-year-old in Sorø. Danish media outlets refer to the consolidated case as "Korsør-sagen," recognizing the geographic and thematic connections between the crimes.

**The Survival and Legacy**

The 13-year-old girl's survival became a cornerstone of the case—and later, a source of public testimony to resilience. Her parents later authored a book titled *27 timer – pigen, der overlevede* (27 Hours – The Girl Who Survived), which provided intimate details of her ordeal and recovery. The publication of this account ensured that her experience would not be forgotten, and it offered insight into both the trauma inflicted by Westh and the strength required to survive it.

The case also drew international attention as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by predators operating within communities. Westh's apparent ability to move through society—working as a marketing manager while committing serious crimes—raised difficult questions about detection, prevention, and the warning signs that may have been missed.

Today, the Kirkerup case and the broader Korsør-sagen stand as among Denmark's most significant criminal prosecutions in recent memory, symbolizing both the vulnerability of young people and the determination of law enforcement to bring serial offenders to justice.

**Sources**

https://altomkendte.dk/true-crime/27-timers-mareridt-bog-om-kirkerup-sagen-afsloerer-hjerteskaerende-detaljer/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Emilie_Meng

https://www.berlingske.dk/indland/det-yngste-offer-i-korsoer-sagen-moedte-i-dag-op-i-retten-for-at-se-philip-patrick-westh-i-oejnene-ogsaa-det-tog-han-fra-hende

https://www.primetimer.com/features/what-happened-to-emilie-meng-a-full-timeline-of-the-danish-teen-s-murder-case

https://www.primetimer.com/features/where-is-philip-patrick-westh-now-details-explored-about-the-killer-of-emilie-meng