Global InformationBaneheia murders information
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| Verdict | Murder, Rape |
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The Baneheia murders (Norwegian: Baneheia-drapene) was a double rape and murder, and a miscarriage of justice, that occurred in Norway on 19 May 2000. The victims were two girls, 10-year-old Lena Sløgedal Paulsen and 8-year-old Stine Sofie Austegard Sørstrønen. They were found raped and killed in the Baneheia area in Kristiansand.[1] The murders received massive media attention in Norway in the early 2000s.[1]
Two men were convicted (in 2001) for the murders: Jan Helge Andersen (born 1981) and Viggo Kristiansen (born 1979). Andersen was convicted of the murder and rape of Sørstrønen, but acquitted of the murder of Paulsen. The conviction of Andersen was based on a DNA match from the scene and a confession to the killing of Sørstrønen. Kristiansen was convicted of rape and murder of both girls and sentenced to 21 years of containment in 2001 and 2002.[2]
While Andersen confessed killing one of the girls, Kristiansen always claimed he was innocent. In the decades following the initial trials, Kristiansen applied for a retrial many times. His seventh application in 2021 was successful. In February 2021 Kristiansen's case was reopened and he was released from prison.[3]
On 21 October 2022, Attorney General Jørn Maurud announced that the prosecution would submit a request for the acquittal of Viggo Kristiansen in the reopening case, based on the new investigation carried out by the Oslo police district.[4] On 15 December 2022, Kristiansen was acquitted in the Borgarting Court of Appeal.[5] The verdict against Kristiansen is widely considered as one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in Norway's recent history.[6][7][8]
- ^ a b Nilsen, Anne Thorhild (19 May 2011). "Ti år etter Baneheia-drapene". Nrk.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 29 August 2012.
- ^ NRK (13 February 2002). "Dette er lagmannsrettens dom". NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ^ "Viggo Kristiansens sak gjenopptas: Uenighet i kommisjonen". www.vg.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). 18 February 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ Waaler, Ingrid Emilie (21 October 2022). "Riksadvokaten ber om at Viggo Kristiansen frifinnes". NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ Olsson, Svein Vestrum (15 December 2022). "Viggo Kristiansen frikjent i Baneheia-saken". NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ^ Einangshaug, Henrik (21 October 2022). "- Historiens alvorligste justismord". dagbladet.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ Rønneberg, Olav (21 October 2022). "Et av historiens største justismord". NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ "Emilie Enger Mehl om Viggo Kristiansen: – Jeg vil si unnskyld". www.vg.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). 15 December 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022.