“Line” always locks the door. She does not feel safe – even though she has been given a mobile violence alarm by the police that she can press. She would prefer to see the ex get a reverse violence alarm attached to his leg, because then he can’t approach her house without the alarm going off. Scary ex – What if he comes and knocks on the door. What if he sneaks around here and just walks in? she says to news. The woman says that she feels she must be careful and keep the door locked. Photo: Christian Kråkenes / news “Line” is not her real name. news has chosen to anonymize her completely. She is afraid of the man who she says she experienced controlled and harassed her mentally and physically over several years. After a threatening confrontation with her ex, she received a violence alarm. The man has also been banned from visiting a number of people in addition to “Line”. But she finds that he breaks the restrictions again and again. He has sought her out several times and made contact in many different ways, she says. It makes her afraid. – He has said that he does not care about the restraining order. This is what the victim’s mobile violence alarm looks like on their mobile phone. Photo: Christian Kråkenes / news Her legal aid lawyer Ann-Iren Skjelbred does not understand why the police have not put a reverse violence alarm on him long ago. – The person is very persistent with repeated breaches of the no-contact order. We have many reviews. I think it is enough for the police to impose a reverse violence alarm with an electronic anklet, says Skjelbred to news. Aid attorney Ann-Iren Skjelbred believes that, conversely, violence alarms could have been used to a greater extent. Photo: Christian Kråkenes / news She has supported a number of victims in various cases, and believes that the police too often avoid imposing a reverse violence alarm. – It is better than it was a few years ago, but I believe that a reverse violence alarm can still be required to a greater extent than is done now, says Ann-Iren Skjelbred. Want to increase use In April this year, the government introduced new rules that made it easier to use reverse violence alarms. The technical solution would place the burden on the perpetrator instead of the victim of violence. While the police previously had to present a case to the court about a reverse violence alarm, the new rules gave the police the opportunity to make the decision themselves. The change came at the same time that Kripos expressed concern about the increase in violence in close relationships. Last year, 17 victims were killed by a partner or former partner. The Norwegian Police Directorate estimated that around 200 perpetrators a year could be put on a reverse violence alarm using ankle chains with the new rules. This is how it looks, the anklet that accused persons must wear if either the police or the court decide that it is necessary. Photo: Ole Andreas Bø / news Around 25 per cent of 300 ankle chains in use news has investigated the extent of use in week 47. The figures we obtained showed that there were only three inverted violence alarms that were chained in the whole of Northern Norway that week, while The East police district alone had the most with 15. With a total of 70–80 reverse violence alarms in use around the country, this makes up 25 per cent of the 300 reverse violence alarms the police have access to. In comparison, over 1,500 victims had a mobile violence alarm at the end of the month, figures from the Norwegian Police Directorate show. Status of inverted violence alarms in use November 2024 news has collected figures from the 12 police districts in Norway in week 47 of 2024. The figures show that the police overall have between 70 and 80 inverted violence alarms in use. A figure that is significantly lower than the 300 ankle chains the police received in March to save victims of violence from more violence or murder. These are the numbers per police district: Agder: 3 Finnmark: 0 Inland: 6 Møre and Romsdal: 3 Nordland: 2 Oslo: 14 South-West: 13 South-East: 9 Troms: 1 Trøndelag: 9 West: 4 East: 15 Volds- and persons exposed to threats can use the violence alarm to notify the police. When they press the alarm button, a signal is sent to the police, who can rush to where they are. Reverse violence alarm is an anklet that perpetrators of violence may be required to wear when they are sentenced to a no-contact order. The person convicted of violence cannot move within areas that have been determined in advance. If the anklet crosses into one of these areas, the police can be notified. They can follow the movements of the person convicted of violence on a map and intervene if necessary. The police: We must deal with legal practice The woman news has met says that it is difficult and affects her life that the police will not use a reverse violence alarm in her case. – You never know what he can come up with, and that is what feels very unsafe, says “Line” to news. “Line” does not feel safe. Photo: Christian Kråkenes / news news has asked the police district where the woman lives why they cannot put an electronic anklet on the man that functions as a reverse violence alarm. They cannot go into all the details of the woman’s specific case, and the supervisor says that they can make a new assessment if new information comes to light. – We understand that it is burdensome for a victim to feel unsafe. We make a concrete and sober assessment in each individual case, and we take note that the defense lawyer and the victim may have a different view than ours, says police lawyer Magnar Pedersen. Police lawyer Magnar Pedersen says that legal practice to some extent sets limits on when they can impose ankle chains. Photo: Magnus Skatvedt Iversen / news He says that the reverse violence alarm should be used when everything else has been tried and the perpetrator is dangerous. According to Pedersen, the police’s decision to handcuff is often appealed to the court. – We therefore have to deal with the practice that has been used for years in the Supreme Court. So we have to make a balanced assessment of the burden, says police lawyer Pedersen. According to the police lawyer, it is not the access to anklets or the capacity of the police that limits how much use there is of a reverse violence alarm. The Conservative Party will consider whether the threshold is too high. The Conservative Party believes that the Storting must look at the rules. They will investigate whether the law and case law prevent the reverse violence alarm from being used enough. Mari Holm Lønseth from the Conservative Party believes there are too few ankle chains in use as a reverse violence alarm. Photo: Gunnar Bratthammer / news – I think there is good reason to look at whether the threshold for giving a reverse violence alarm is too high today. It is high time that the victims are put more at the center. It is them we must protect, not those who have committed violence or rape against others, says justice policy spokesperson Mari Holm Lønseth in the Conservative Party to news. – The figures show that the police use a fraction of the 300 reverse violence alarms they have access to. What does the Conservative Party think of that? – I think that is far too bad. We must bring up the use of reverse violence alarms, so that those who have been exposed to violence can also feel safe, says the parliamentary representative from the Conservative Party. Government: As of now, will not make any changes State Secretary Sigve Bolstad (Sp) in the Ministry of Justice points out that the number of ankle chains in use for reverse violence alarms has increased – although there is still a lot of free capacity. State Secretary Sigve Bolstad (Sp) says they are concerned about the situation for women, but will not make changes until the changes have been evaluated. Photo: Gunnar Bratthammer / news – Before the change in the law came into force in April this year, the figure was 15 ankle chains in use. If we are now up to around 80, it shows a relatively strong increase in percentage, says Bolstad. He says that the government trusts the police’s assessments. – As of today, we are not going to go in and make changes, but everything will be evaluated, he promises. – Our major focus is the strain that the women feel, says Bolstad. What is reverse violence alarm? The convict wears an electronic leg brace. If convicts move within a geographical area to which the contact ban applies, an alarm is triggered. The scheme is linked to a restraining order. The police are responsible for the scheme and administer it in collaboration with the Correctional Service. The scheme came into force on 1 February 2013. The measure is relevant where someone has been convicted of domestic violence or where the convicted person has previously breached a visiting or contact ban. Part of the government’s efforts against violence in close relationships. In December 2023, the Storting decided that the police can impose ankle chains. In January 2024, the Minister of Justice announced that the change in the law will be brought forward to before Easter. Published 29.11.2024, at 21.04 Updated 29.11.2024, at 21.43
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The Conservative Party wants to lower the threshold for reverse violence alarms – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
