In a short time, Zaniar Matapour will be put on trial for the terrorist attack in Oslo on 25 June 2022. Two were killed, nine shot and even more injured during the attack. Now the Support Group on 25 June fears that several of those affected will not have access to all the rights they are entitled to. 221 has been given legal assistance in the district court. The number does not include all the 269 victims in the case, and is far lower than the 500 the police estimate were present when the attack took place. Several of those with assistance lawyers do not have the status of offended, according to the police. Evjenth himself is offended Photo: Julia Thommessen / news Nyheter It has created confusion about what one can be entitled to, the support group believes: – We know that not everyone who is offended according to the police’s definition even has a legal aid lawyer. In addition, there are several hundred who were present who do not have it. Potentially there are several hundred who do not have legal aid, but who have the right to have one, says Espen Alexander Evjenth to news. Evjenth is himself among those who were shot during the attack, and leads the support group. He says there are many more who are struggling with psychological damage after the attack than the number who are offended. – Among other things, we know of a man who was at the pool table down in the basement in London, who has major psychological repercussions today. The police do not define him as offended. But he has been granted legal assistance, and is to the highest extent entitled to help and will be a self-written part of the restitution action in the trial. – Has created confusion Evjenth says there are many reasons why people – both those who have the status of offended and those who do not – have not reported to the legal aid lawyers. – It could be people who are in the closet, or it could be people who just want to put what happened behind them, says Evjenth. Coordinating legal aid lawyer Christian Lundin also confirms that legal aid rules have caused confusion among those who were present in and outside the London pub and Per on the corner on 25 June. – It is unclear. There are people who have been given the status of witnesses by the police, but who have nevertheless been appointed to assist the injured party. The reason for this is that a concrete assessment must be made of whether you have the right to be appointed a legal aid lawyer. – At the latest yesterday, I received an inquiry from someone wondering whether they are entitled to legal aid, and that really says it all. This has happened several times, he says to news. Christian Lundin is the coordinating defense lawyer in the 25 June case. Photo: Trygve Heide / news In the autumn after the attack, the district court was more restrictive with who was appointed as legal aid. Lundin and the legal aid lawyers appealed several decisions, and the Court of Appeal upheld them. In the rulings, the Court of Appeal has considered that anyone who was at the London pub, outside Herr Nilsen, London, Hjørnet grill og kebab and Per på kørn can get legal assistance. Having a legal representative gives you the right to information and representation both during investigation and court proceedings, as well as assistance to, for example, bring claims for compensation. This is what the support group fears that people who were in the area on 25 June 2022 will miss. Understands the confusion District Judge Ina Strømstad says she understands that the rules are confusing. – Not all aggrieved persons are entitled to legal assistance. And at the same time, you don’t have to be offended to have the right to legal aid. A discretionary assessment must be made where some boundaries must be drawn. Ergo, there are also some gray areas, and they can be difficult to deal with, says Strømstad to news. District judge Ina Strømstad understands that those who were present during the attack on 25 June 2022 find the rules for legal aid confusing. Photo: Tom Balgaard Police prosecutor Ingvild Myrold also says she understands that it is complicated for victims and witnesses to comply with the rules. – It is the law that sets the legal framework for who is offended, and it is left to a certain amount of discretion to determine where the line is. It is a very difficult assessment, and we understand that some feel that it is wrong, says Myrold to news. She says the police have received reactions both from people who believe they should have been given the status of victim in the criminal case, and from people who are surprised to be given the status of victim. – We fully understand that. It is not the police alone who finally decide that question. The court can also review our assessments. Here we are open to the possibility that changes may occur during the trial, but also later. It is important to us that the legal certainty of the aggrieved is safeguarded in a good way. Evjenth in the support group encourages those who were in Rosenkrantz’ gate on 25 June to register with one of the four legal aid lawyers to check whether they may be entitled to representation, compensation or help before the trial.
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Full legal confusion after the Oslo shooting – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
