The headmaster explained himself for the first time after he lost his job when he testified in Hordaland district court. He chatted incoherently and read out notes he had written during the explanation. A former after-school employee at two schools in Bergen is accused of rape against three girls and sexual acts against five other girls. The headmaster was called by a father of a pupil at the school on a Sunday evening in May last year. During the conversation, the father said that the after-school worker touched the children’s buttocks and “other places on the body where children should not be touched”. – I did not interpret it as a warning of sexual abuse. I thought he might have taken them on his back or shoulders. Then and there you have to respect everyone, listen to everyone, he says. – Promised that he had never touched the girls. The following day, the headmaster relayed what he heard in the telephone conversation to the after-school staff. The conversation lasted for around fifteen minutes. – He promised that he had never touched the girls. He promised that he would be more aware, says the principal. His leaders had seen or heard nothing. They believed that the defendant was popular and good at getting the children active. The headmaster therefore settled for it. – But do you think he would have told you that if he had done this? asked assistant lawyer May Britt Løvik. – I don’t know that, he replied. The headmaster asked managers to follow him extra closely. But never had new meetings or conversations about the notice with them. There are eight offended children in the case. Assistance lawyer May Britt Løvik for five of the offended children. Photo: Synne Lykkebø Hafsaas / news The headmaster was under investigation The man was previously headmaster at a primary school in Bergen, but was fired by Bergen municipality this winter. The background was that he did not proceed with reports of disturbance that he received about the man to his own managers or the police. Later, the after-school staff started at another school. “Not reporting potentially serious offenses to your manager generally appears to be a serious breach of your employment contract with Bergen municipality”, Bergens Tidende referred from a letter from the municipality to the rector. He was under investigation, suspected of breaching the obligation to notify, but the police dismissed the case on the basis of the evidence. The suspension has been appealed to the state attorney. Municipal director Marius Bøe for kindergartens, schools and sports in Bergen municipality tells news that he will not comment on personnel matters in the media. Lawyer Erik Johan Mjelde defends the 28-year-old man. He pleads not guilty. Photo: Synne Lykkebø Hafsaas / news Notice of abuse after Supernytt The former SFO employee was arrested in December last year. In advance, three of the offended girls had told the public health nurse about what they had been exposed to. An episode about abuse on Supernytt made them understand that what the after-school staff had done to them was illegal. The defendant pleaded not guilty when the case against him started in Hordaland district court on Monday. Then one of the eight girls explained that she “was abused so many times that she can’t count”.
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– I did not interpret it as a warning about sexual abuse – news Vestland
