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Norway killer found insane, may avoid prison
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9:50 a.m. CST, November 29, 2011
Prosecutors say confessed mass killer Anders Behring Breivik was insane when he killed 77 people in a bomb and shooting rampage in Norway, and should be sent to a psychiatric ward instead of prison.
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20111129-709591.html
2nd UPDATE:Experts Say Breivik Insane When Committing Norway Terror Acts
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By Niclas Rolander and Sven Grundberg
DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
A psychiatric evaluation has shown that Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian man who killed 77 people in two attacks on July 22 this year, was insane when he committed the crimes, Norway's state prosecutor Svein Holden said Tuesday.
The evaluation, carried out by court-appointed criminal psychiatrists Torgeir Husby and Synne Sorheim, concluded that Breivik is unfit to be sentenced to prison, Holden said.
The 243 page report--which won't be made public in its entirety--concludes that Breivik was "psychotic" when carrying out the bomb attack in Olso and subsequent shooting spree at a youth camp on the island of Utoya.
Additionally it states Breivik over a long period of time has developed paranoid schizophrenia, which "has changed him and made him into the person he is today," Holden said.
The psychiatrists conducted 13 interviews with Breivik, lasting 36 hours in total. They describe him as a person who lives entirely in a universe marked by delusions.
"All his thoughts and acts are governed by these delusions," Holden said, and added that Breivik thought of himself as a "saviour of the Norwegian people."
The report will be reviewed by a panel of psychiatrists at Norway's medical forensic board, after which the Oslo district court will decide whether it agrees with the experts.
"We hope that the review of the report will be concluded before Christmas," Norway's state prosecutor Holden said.
Providing the Norwegian district court upholds the experts' conclusion, Breivik can't be held accountable for his actions, and at the criminal proceedings scheduled for next year he may only be committed to compulsory psychiatric care.
"Non-accountable criminals who have committed serious crimes and are considered dangerous can be sentenced to compulsory mental care," state prosecutor Inga Bejer Engh said. "That means they have to commit to psychiatric care, if necessary for the rest of their lives," she added.
According to Norwegian law, criminals sentenced to compulsory psychiatric care will have their cases reviewed every third year, and the compulsory commitment can be extended any number of times, if the court believes that the convicted person continues to pose a threat to society. The longest possible prison sentence under Norwegian law is 21 years.
The conclusion of Breivik's psychiatric evaluation came as a surprise to many Norwegians. Trond Blattmann, chairman of a support group for victims and their relatives, said the group hopes that judicial process in Norway will "ensure that he won't be released earlier than if he had been deemed accountable by the psychiatric experts."
"We who have been affected do not wish for Breivik to be given a possibility to do damage to society again," Blattmann, whose 17-year old son was killed on Utoya, said in a written statement.
Sverre Rorvik-Nilsen, an Olso resident who witnessed the bomb blast in Oslo that killed eight people, told Dow Jones Newswires that compulsory psychiatric care "is not at all an easy way out" for Breivik.
"Rather it's been said to be harder on the mind to be around insane people for the rest of your life. I don't think [Norwegians] are looking for revenge in any way. That won't undo what happened," he said, adding that he anticipates that Breivik "never will be a free man ever again."
Breivik has confessed to carrying out the attacks on July 22--Norway's deadliest massacre since World War II--but has repeatedly denied criminal responsibility.
-By Niclas Rolander and Sven Grundberg, Dow Jones Newswires, +46 8 5451 3102;
[email protected]
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Home > Video > Breaking video
Norway killer found insane, may avoid prison
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9:50 a.m. CST, November 29, 2011
Prosecutors say confessed mass killer Anders Behring Breivik was insane when he killed 77 people in a bomb and shooting rampage in Norway, and should be sent to a psychiatric ward instead of prison.
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20111129-709591.html
2nd UPDATE:Experts Say Breivik Insane When Committing Norway Terror Acts
Article
Printer
Friendly
Share:
facebook ↓ More
smaller Text larger
(Adds detail.)
By Niclas Rolander and Sven Grundberg
DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
A psychiatric evaluation has shown that Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian man who killed 77 people in two attacks on July 22 this year, was insane when he committed the crimes, Norway's state prosecutor Svein Holden said Tuesday.
The evaluation, carried out by court-appointed criminal psychiatrists Torgeir Husby and Synne Sorheim, concluded that Breivik is unfit to be sentenced to prison, Holden said.
The 243 page report--which won't be made public in its entirety--concludes that Breivik was "psychotic" when carrying out the bomb attack in Olso and subsequent shooting spree at a youth camp on the island of Utoya.
Additionally it states Breivik over a long period of time has developed paranoid schizophrenia, which "has changed him and made him into the person he is today," Holden said.
The psychiatrists conducted 13 interviews with Breivik, lasting 36 hours in total. They describe him as a person who lives entirely in a universe marked by delusions.
"All his thoughts and acts are governed by these delusions," Holden said, and added that Breivik thought of himself as a "saviour of the Norwegian people."
The report will be reviewed by a panel of psychiatrists at Norway's medical forensic board, after which the Oslo district court will decide whether it agrees with the experts.
"We hope that the review of the report will be concluded before Christmas," Norway's state prosecutor Holden said.
Providing the Norwegian district court upholds the experts' conclusion, Breivik can't be held accountable for his actions, and at the criminal proceedings scheduled for next year he may only be committed to compulsory psychiatric care.
"Non-accountable criminals who have committed serious crimes and are considered dangerous can be sentenced to compulsory mental care," state prosecutor Inga Bejer Engh said. "That means they have to commit to psychiatric care, if necessary for the rest of their lives," she added.
According to Norwegian law, criminals sentenced to compulsory psychiatric care will have their cases reviewed every third year, and the compulsory commitment can be extended any number of times, if the court believes that the convicted person continues to pose a threat to society. The longest possible prison sentence under Norwegian law is 21 years.
The conclusion of Breivik's psychiatric evaluation came as a surprise to many Norwegians. Trond Blattmann, chairman of a support group for victims and their relatives, said the group hopes that judicial process in Norway will "ensure that he won't be released earlier than if he had been deemed accountable by the psychiatric experts."
"We who have been affected do not wish for Breivik to be given a possibility to do damage to society again," Blattmann, whose 17-year old son was killed on Utoya, said in a written statement.
Sverre Rorvik-Nilsen, an Olso resident who witnessed the bomb blast in Oslo that killed eight people, told Dow Jones Newswires that compulsory psychiatric care "is not at all an easy way out" for Breivik.
"Rather it's been said to be harder on the mind to be around insane people for the rest of your life. I don't think [Norwegians] are looking for revenge in any way. That won't undo what happened," he said, adding that he anticipates that Breivik "never will be a free man ever again."
Breivik has confessed to carrying out the attacks on July 22--Norway's deadliest massacre since World War II--but has repeatedly denied criminal responsibility.
-By Niclas Rolander and Sven Grundberg, Dow Jones Newswires, +46 8 5451 3102;
[email protected]
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