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15-year-old pleads not guilty after stabbings

Flowers are laid down outside Coop Obs at Sørlandssenteret in Kristiansand. Where a 17-year-old girl died from the injury after stab wounds and 23-year-old woman is seriously injured. Photo: Tor Erik Schrøder / NTB scanpix

15-year-old pleads not guilty after stabbings in Kristiansand

The police have asked for two weeks in custody for the 15-year-old who is charged with murder and attempted murder after the knife stabbings in Kristiansand. She does not admit guilt.

 

The 15-year-old was arrested and charged with stabbing a 17-year-old girl and a 23-year-old woman in a supermarket inside a shopping mall on Wednesday night.

The accused has not been able to give evidence, but in the remand hearing on Thursday afternoon it emerged that she did not acknowledge to be guilty as charged, says the girl’s lawyer, Hege Klem, to NRK.

Acting prosecutor in Agder police district, Cecilie Pedersen Hille, states that the police have requested that the girl should be detained for two weeks with a letter and a ban on visits. They expect the ruling to be made early on Friday.

She has not wanted to explain herself, but attended the hearing. She is opposed to incarceration, says Hille to NTB.

The families in shock

17-year-old Marie Skuland from Kristiansand died night to Thursday of the injuries sustained from the knife stabbing. She was employed as a temporary employee at Coop Obs in the Sørlandssenteret.

Attorney for the victim’s family, Åse Johnsen Drabløs, says that the girl’s family is in shock after what happened.

– I have not talked much with them, but of course for them this is absolutely terrible. This is a shock, and completely incomprehensible, she says to NTB.

The woman other who was stabbed, a 23-year-old who was a customer at the store, is admitted to Oslo University Hospital. Her condition is Thursday deemed as being critical.

Maria Ursin Ingebrigtsen is appointed as the woman’s counseling attorney. She has been in contact with the woman’s husband, but has not been in contact with the 23-year-old.

– The husband, of course, takes this very heavy. It is a sad situation that is tough for the family. He wants peace so that he can concentrate on the situation of his wife, she says to NTB.

Supposedly ran away from child care institution

The 15-year-old had lived at a child care institution, run by the private company ’Næromsorg Sør’ on Wednesday, on behalf of the Child, Youth and Family Authority (Bufetat).

From there she escaped earlier in the day, but appart from confirming that the 15-year-old lives there, the General Manager of the institution, Lena Braathen, will not comment on the matter.

The 15-year-old was being reported missing by the child welfare institution one hour after the incident, but Braathen will not comment on if this happened only after she was told about the stabbings.

Unit leader for admittals in Bufetat Region South, Bjørn Robert Orten Groven, tells NTB that they were notified of the matter by Næromsorg Sør night before Thursday.

– We are in close dialogue with other agencies about how the course of events was. Obviously, the police are investigating the matter, he says.

Admitted to psychiatric ward

The accused is an acquaintance of both the police and the CPS. She has so far not possible to interrogate, but the police say that they plan to make another attempt Friday.

Among other things, the police want to find out if there is any relationship between the victims and the accused.

Meanwhile, the girl will stay at a child and adolescent psychiatric ward in Arendal, where she is voluntarily admitted since Wednesday evening. According to the defense attorney, the accused is very affected by the situation.

– She is not able to be questioned. She is deeply distressed, says Klem to NTB.

An expert has been appointed to assess the condition of the 15-year-old and if she is accountable.

Dramatic

Several witnesses tell about dramatic scenes inside the mall before the 15-year-old was arrested.

I work at Session, and we closed the doors when she was heading towards the store. First, a throng of around 50 people came running. Then she came and stood outside the store and threatened people. Before she continued onwards, one of the witnesses, Charlie Troxel, told the local newspaper Fædrelandsvennen.

The police do not currently have a complete overview of the course of events, and still want to get in touch with witnesses who have further information.

Particularly the police want to access photos and videos that witnesses may have recorded, says Hille.

Kristiansand municipality has put a crisis team in place and arranged for phone numbers that affected can call if need be. The staff at the mall observed one minute of silence when it opened on Thursday while Coop Obs was closed for the whole day.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today