NUUK, GREENLAND—The government of Greenland announced on Sunday that it had begun construction in its northernmost region of a maximum-security prison for pedophiles.

The prison, which will house “the worst of the worst,” is a joint venture between Greenland and the nations of the European Union.

A Greenlandic government spokesperson, Hartvig Dorkelson, said that the construction of the prison “should not be seen as an act of provocation,” adding, “The only person who could be offended by this would be a pedophile.”