This is what the man’s defender, lawyer Eirik Johan Mjelde, told news. A 28-year-old man appeared in Hordaland district court at the end of November, charged with the rape of three girls and sexual acts against five other girls. The man worked as an assistant at SFO at two schools in Bergen. The girls were between six and eight years old when the abuse occurred. – He is extremely disappointed. He maintains his innocence, and will appeal the verdict to the Court of Appeal, both the question of guilt and the sentencing, says Mjelde. – Can’t count It was played by arranged questioning of the children before the court. One of the children said that she was subjected to repeated abuse when she ate meals at the after-school centre. – It happened so many times that I can’t count. The man is said to have asked if the girls wanted to sit on his lap. – He said he didn’t have a boyfriend, so he could pick on us as much as he wanted, said one of the other girls. The abuse case became known to the police when three girls went to the health nurse at the school and told what they had experienced in December last year. Beforehand, the girls had seen an episode about abuse on “Supernytt”. An episode about abuse on Supernytt made the offended girls understand that what they were subjected to at SFO was not allowed. After this, they notified the health nurse at the school. Photo: Skjermbilde / news Super Strøk under the trouser waistband Prosecutor Lillian Andersson Kleppe asked for nine years’ imprisonment for the after-school employee. She believes that the man took advantage of his position as an employee and the children’s trust and dependence on him to carry out sexual abuse. The 28-year-old pleaded not guilty during the trial. However, he admitted that he could touch the children’s private areas during play and rampage. But denied that the actions were sexually motivated. The man said that on one occasion he stroked one of the girls’ stomach, and that he reached under the waistband of his trousers, but stopped at the panties. – Suddenly it was as if I woke up, I jumped and thought “shit”. Prosecutor Lillian Andersson Kleppe asked for nine years in prison for the man. Photo: Benjamin Dyrdal / news Desired acquittal When the man was arrested, he said he was relieved and admitted that he was sexually attracted to children. He explained that he got hot in the head when the children sat on his lap. He withdrew this during the trial. He then said that he had smoked weed before he was arrested, that he was in shock and a form of trance. The man’s defender, lawyer Eirik Johan Mjelde, asked for a full acquittal of the man. He says that stroking, playing, touching and physical contact happen daily between adults and children at SFO. He believes that actions can be unprofessional, careless and inappropriate, without being punishable. That it is the motives behind it that decide. – He has acknowledged that he has been careless, and of course there may have been touching that has been misunderstood, said Mjelde. Lawyer Erik Johan Mjelde asked for an acquittal of the 28-year-old man. He emphasizes that the man has acknowledged that he has been careless, but believes that the touches may have been misunderstood. Photo: Synne Lykkebø Hafsaas / news
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An after-school employee convicted of assaulting eight children – news Vestland
