Life for the sisters was never the same after their parents divorced. They were 8 and 10 years old when their father started picking them up from the children’s room at night. Often he had drunk first. In their father’s bed, the girls were subjected to repeated abuse. Sometimes several times a week, it appears in the judgment from the Vestfold district court. This was how everyday life was for them for almost two years. Now the father has been sentenced to pay more than NOK 18 million in compensation to the daughters. Thought he did his daughter a favor Today, the daughters are adults and struggle with great trauma. They have been diagnosed with complex PTSD and are partially disabled, according to the judgement. The father was recently sentenced to six years in prison for the gross sexual abuse. The father is said to have explained to one daughter that he did this for her own sake. That way, she would be “better equipped when she became a teenager and got a boyfriend”. The daughter explained in court that she thought this was something all fathers did, right up until she received sex education at school. Then she understood that it was not normal. The case was first dismissed The father was first reported by his ex-wife for assaulting the eldest daughter in 2001. Six years later he was reported by the youngest daughter for assaulting her. Both daughters were then teenagers, but the cases were dropped. A third daughter is said to have said that she was also abused by her father, but she died shortly afterwards. The daughters had then become adults. The cases were only resumed after the husband of the youngest of them went to the police with new information. The case was not investigated well enough when it was dismissed at the beginning of the 2000s, believes the eldest daughter’s legal aid lawyer, Rita Aase. – The fact that the case came up before the court very late has made it easier to thoroughly document the case, she explains. The youngest daughter’s lawyer, Sigurd Ihlen, has not responded to news’s inquiry. Denied criminal guilt In addition to the prison sentence, the father has been sentenced to pay over NOK 18 million in compensation to his daughters. NOK 10.6 million to the eldest daughter, and NOK 7.5 million to the youngest. The judgment states that he will probably never be able to pay them this amount. The father pleaded not guilty and explained in court that he does not understand the background to the accusations. But he hinted at a possible financial motive. – An exceptionally good job The public assistance attorney has done exceptionally good preliminary work in this case, says Eirik Lereim. He is a district court judge and a member of the judges’ media group. PRAISES THE ASSISTANT LAWYER: District court judge and member of the judges’ media group, Eirik Lereim, thinks the legal aid for the daughters has done an exceptionally good job. Photo: news He has rarely seen a similar case where medical declarations and expert statements have been brought in ahead of the criminal case. The documentation has ensured that the court has been able to determine which medical disability the girls have suffered, explains Lereim. The compensation amount is high, but it should be, says Lereim. If you lose an entire professional life, there will soon be many millions that the daughters miss out on. During the last few years, there has been a change in compensation in criminal cases. This is because the amount is index-regulated every year in line with the basic amount with the national insurance. He adds that the court has settled on a level that shows that this is serious abuse. At the same time, he doubts whether the girls will get all the money they have been awarded. Unsure if they will get all the money In this case, the sisters can be paid NOK 6.6 million by the state, but the rest must be collected from the father. But it is required that the father has an extraordinary income to cover the remaining 12 million, explains Lereim. As the father is in his late 60s and will first serve 6 years in prison, it is not certain that the daughters will get what they are entitled to. It may nevertheless be that the new Violence Compensation Act, which comes into force after the New Year, may have significance in this case. The aim of the new law is to make it easier for victims of violence to get money that they have been awarded in compensation. In the past, victims of violence have had to wait around 420 days from the time they submit an application to the Office for Victim Compensation until they receive a response to the application. Now the victim of violence will immediately receive an offer to have the amount paid out by the state. Will probably appeal In this case, the requirements may be met so that they benefit from the exception rule, Lereim believes. It shall apply when young people have sustained permanently disabling injuries. It is likely that the father will appeal the case, says his defender Ole Petter Breistøl. THE FATHER’S DEFENDER: Ole Petter Breistøl is prepared that his client will appeal the case. Photo: Henrik Bøe / news – It is not clear whether there will be an appeal. The defendant pleaded not guilty in the district court, so an appeal is likely, writes Breistøl in a text message. The deadline to do so is January 5.
ttn-69
Father sentenced to pay 18 million in compensation to daughters after abuse – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
