254 children offended – news Nordland

The case in summary: One of the biggest online abuse cases in Norwegian history is about to unfold, a man from Nordland has been charged and remanded in custody. In total, there are 254 victims in the case. Children’s homes all over the country have been involved in questioning the children, and ensure equal treatment and follow-up. The children are afraid that the abuse has been shared, and many feel embarrassed and betrayed. The consequences of digital abuse are still uncertain, but there are indications that they may have similar consequences to traditional physical abuse. It is important that the children receive good support and understanding following the abuse. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s ​​journalists before publication. – The matter is serious. Then there are many offended. It is an unusual case. That’s what Tord Hvalby says. He is a senior adviser at the Children’s House in Bodø. One of the biggest online abuse cases in Norwegian history is about to unfold. A man from Nordland is said to have molested children on the website Omegle. – In total, there are now 254 victims in this case. Currently, we have 108 names of the children, 55 of which we have confirmed the identity of, said police attorney Maria Skog to news on Monday. The man pleads guilty. In recent months, the children’s home in Bodø has coordinated questioning of all the children the police have identified. Children’s homes all over the country have been involved. – We ensure equal treatment and the same offer for children and families, says Hvalby. Tord Hvalby, Charlotte Marie Ringkjøb, Maria Skog and Thea Flaatten meet at the orphanage in Bodø. Several children have appeared here for questioning and interviews. Photo: Alexander Kjønsø Karlsen / news All children get to tell their story Children have turned up at orphanages in all countries to talk about this very issue. Some will be interviewed, while other children will appear for an interview. Because it is not all the children that you need to interrogate, because you have enough evidence in other ways. – But then they will be allowed to come to an orphanage and tell their story. We then provide the follow-up that may be needed afterwards. Or we coordinate with local offers where they have to live, he says. Children from all police districts have the status of offended in the case. Charlotte Marie Ringkjøb is a legal aid lawyer for the children the police have managed to identify. So far she has met around 50 of them. – What I can say they have in common is that some say they don’t remember. Some are so embarrassed that they are about to die. Others take it quite well. But what is common is that everyone is afraid of it being shared. And everyone is very, very, very embarrassed. They are embarrassed and they feel betrayed, she says. Difficult to say anything about consequences But what consequences such abuse can have, is not difficult to say. Lars Roar Frøyland is a sociologist with a PhD in psychology, and has worked extensively with sexual abuse of children. Especially digital abuse. Photo: NOVA – When it comes to digital abuse in general, there is a lot we don’t know about the consequences. That’s what Lars Roar Frøyland says. He is a sociologist with a doctorate in psychology, and has worked extensively with sexual abuse of children. Especially digital abuse. But even if we don’t know much about long-term consequences, Frøyland says that there are many indications that it has similar consequences to traditional physical abuse. – It could be a question of mental health problems, it could be a question of problems with trust. It can also be difficult at school. At the same time, it is important to add that not everyone is affected by this. – In the longer term, it is difficult to say anything about these digital assaults, because it is so new. But if you assume that here too it will be the same as the traditional physical abuses, then there are many here too who have challenges in adult life. Frøyland is clear that it is important that the children receive good support. – I think it is incredibly important to have support and understanding. Many feel strong shame, it can be extremely degrading actions they are exposed to. The children may have participated voluntarily or under strong manipulation. So showing support and understanding, I think, will be very, very important.



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