Figures obtained by news show a doubling of violence in the last five years among those who are too young to be punished. In all 12 police districts in Norway apart from Troms, violence is increasing greatly. If we go back even further, the increase is even greater. The head of prosecution for Unit East in the Oslo police district, which has the most cases against children under the age of 15, says that those under the age of 15 are also used by those who are older. New trend – It is a trend now that we see in all types of criminal incidents that those under the age of 15 are also part of the cases and also that they are used, says prosecutor Per Thomas Omholt. In these cases, there are examples of children over the age of 15 who are present, but behave passively to avoid punishment. LEADER: Prosecutor Per Thomas Omholt at Unit East in the Oslo police district Photo: Eskil Wie Furunes / news Kripos has previously stated that they see tendencies for criminal gangs to recruit boys under the criminal minimum age who do not risk a prison sentence. It can be to carry out simple tasks such as handing over drugs, guarding and other things, according to a police report from 2023. No one is punished – Why do you spend time on these cases where no one can be punished? – The police have an investigative duty in cases where children are between 12 and 15 years old. And we believe it is good preventive work to investigate these cases, so that we know what has happened and that those involved get in touch with the police, says Omholt. There is a high threshold for releasing videos of children in criminal cases. The police in Oslo have given news access to several videos because the problem is increasing and the violence is getting worse. The surveillance video from the parking garage before the violence happened. Photo: POLICE For the sake of the victims, news has chosen not to publish the videos. Often the videos are part of the humiliation the victims go through. They are filmed and shared on social media. The violence shows 13- and 14-year-olds in the minority being kicked and beaten lying on the ground. “Luckily the incident did not have fatal consequences” One of the boys received at least 30 kicks, according to the verdict. Emphasis is also placed on the force of the kicks and punches being violent. «. pure luck that the incident did not result in significant head injuries or had fatal consequences,” says a judgment. But often there is no verdict if all the suspects are under 15 years of age. The 15-year-old was sentenced to community service. Another judgment shows that a boy under the age of 14 was subjected to serious violence by dozens of boys. Because some were over 14 years of age, there is a judgment that describes the incident. In the underpass, there is blood both on the asphalt and on the walls. He comes into the emergency room with wounds, bruises and has to be observed at night because he has suffered a concussion. Five 16-year-olds were sentenced for the violence. But the verdict states that there may have been 20 people there. “The police haven’t found out who someone is. Others were under the age of 15 when this happened and under the criminal minimum age. Their cases are therefore dismissed.” Published 15.06.2024, at 21.24
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Doubling of violence among those who are too young to be punished – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
