Killed random victim in psychosis

Oslo District Court rape abuse psychosisOslo District Court.Photo Norway Today Media.

Not admitted – killed a random man in psychosis

Three days after the 28-years-old was rejected by the health service, he killed a random man at Nakholmen outside Oslo during a psychosis. Now the court can give him a place in a hospital.

 

Totally randomly, Thoralf Eriksen (59) was brutally struck down and mistreated to such an extent that he died from the injuries in a ferry shed on the island of Nakholmen outside Oslo last year. The 28-years-old was observed when he was scavenging in several boats, and he supposedly attempted to break into an uninhabited cabin when the victim approached him.

Dagbladet has written that friends of the Lithuanian 28-years-old – in the days before the murder – attempted to get him admitted to forced physiatric care, but were rejected at the emergency room in Asker and Bærum. After the murder, he was immediately taken to a psychiatric hospital, where he still is.

– This murder occurred because my client was sick. He remembers what happened and will explain himself in court, says lawyer Frode Sulland, who defends the 28-years-old.

The indictment against the 28-years-old describes a horrendous deed. On September 13th of last year, he hit the elderly man several times with his fists and kicked him when he fell for no obvious reason. Finally, he struck the defenceless man several times to his head using a metal trash can and a shovel. With several lethal injuries to the head and the rest of his upper body, Eriksen died shortly after according to the indictment.

Agreement on psychosis

The prosecutor requests compulsory psychiatric treatment of the Lithuanian when the trial is held at the Oslo District Court on Monday. Two experts have examined the man and concluded that he was psychotic when the murder occurred.

Prosecutor in the case is State Attorney Alvar Randa. Assistance attorney for the victim’s family is Gunhild Bergan.

– There is no dispute between the parties that he was unaccountable when this happened. It will, however, be highlighted that shortly before this, there was an attempt to forcibly admit the perpetrator, says Sulland, referring to the criticism that has been directed at the Norwegian healthcare system.

– The fact that he did not receive the health care he needed, will to some extent be highlighted in court. That’s part of the whole case complex, the lawyer continues.

Change in legislation

The murder occurred shortly after the changes to the Mental Health Act were introduced on September 1st last year. According to the revised law, it is no longer lawful to force anyone as long as they have what the legal text refers to as «consent competence».

The exception is when the patient is a danger to his/her own life or the life of others, which medical officer, wrongfully, assessed the murderer not to be, writes Dagbladet, who has been given access to the investigation of the emergency room in Asker and Bærum.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today