A 19-year-old American college student detained in Denmark following an altercation with an Uber driver has been released from custody but remains unable to return to the United States, his Danish attorney confirmed to The Epoch Times in an email on April 14.
Owen Ray, a student at Miami University of Ohio, was released from Copenhagen’s Vestre Prison after being held for nearly two weeks. According to his Denmark-based attorney, Eigil Strand, he has not been formally charged.
In a statement issued Monday by the attorney on behalf of Ray’s parents, they expressed relief that he has been released but concern that Danish authorities have confiscated his passport.
“We are relieved that Owen has been released from a Danish prison following the unprovoked assault he and his friend suffered at the hands of an Uber driver on March 31,” Andy Ray and Sara Buchen-Ray said.
“However, we remain deeply concerned that Danish authorities have confiscated his passport and will not allow him to return to the United States—something we understand is unusual in Danish court proceedings. The facts make clear that Owen is the victim in this case, and we urge Danish officials to allow him to return home to the United States without delay.”
According to a spokesperson for the Ray family, the incident occurred late on the evening of March 31 after Ray and a friend entered an Uber to return to their hotel in Copenhagen. They realized they had selected the wrong location in the app and exited the vehicle after the driver refused to take them to the correct destination. The fare was canceled and paid automatically through the app, the family said.
About five minutes later, the same driver allegedly returned and began threatening the pair over the perceived unpaid fare. The boys assured him that the payment had been processed. According to the family’s account, the driver then got out of the vehicle and assaulted Ray. A brief scuffle followed, and Ray and his friend fled the scene. The incident was reportedly captured on the Uber’s dashboard camera, which is now part of the Danish legal proceedings.
The two students returned to their hotel and were arrested the following morning at Copenhagen Airport as they attempted to board their previously scheduled flights back to the United States.
Ray had been held since April 1 until his release on April 14. His friend’s current legal status has not been made public.
Ray’s U.S.-based attorney has not responded to an email from The Epoch Times. Danish police also did not respond.
The U.S. Department of State provided a brief statement in response to an inquiry from The Epoch Times.
“We are aware of media reports of two U.S. citizens detained in Denmark. Staff at our embassy in Copenhagen are providing consular assistance,” a State Department spokesperson said. “The Department has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment.”
