Denmark's Serial Prison Escapee: The Man Who Left 22 Times
How Brian Bo Larsen became Scandinavia's most prolific jail breaker — and what it reveals about Nordic prison security
Quick Facts
In the annals of Nordic crime, few names carry the notoriety of Brian Bo Larsen. The 40-year-old Danish inmate has earned a singular distinction: he is believed to be one of Scandinavia's most successful prison escapees, with at least 21 to 22 confirmed breakouts across his criminal history.
Known in Danish media as "Flugtkongen"—literally the "Escape King"—Larsen represents a unique challenge to Denmark's correctional system. Over a three-decade period, he has accumulated 23 years of incarceration, yet his time behind bars has rarely confined him for long. His repeated escapes have made him a subject of fascination in Scandinavian true crime circles and a case study in prison security vulnerabilities.
**A Master of Departure**
What distinguishes Larsen from typical escape attempts is not desperation but systematic ingenuity. His breakouts span multiple high-security and medium-security Danish facilities, suggesting either institutional lapses or an uncommon level of determination and planning. One of his most notable escape locations was Horsens Statsfængsel (Horsens State Prison), a facility that once housed some of Denmark's most dangerous offenders. From this institution alone, Larsen managed to escape at least three times.
The audacity of some escapes hints at the calculated nature of his approach. In one particularly brazen instance, Larsen orchestrated a breakout during his own grandmother's funeral—a departure that required coordination and advance planning. Such escapes suggest access to outside assistance or exceptional opportunity identification rather than impulsive flight.
**The Vridsløselille Incident**
Among Larsen's most recent documented escapes was one from Vridsløselille Prison, a medium-security facility in eastern Denmark. Reports indicate he may have used improvised materials—including paint and a rope ladder—to scale the facility's perimeter. This escape, like many others, thrust Larsen back into public attention and raised uncomfortable questions about oversight at Danish correctional institutions.
