The baby change at the maternity ward in Herøy in 1965 has attracted attention both nationally and internationally. What happened has also been a big topic of conversation in the local community, after it became known in 2022 what happened to two newborn babies in 1965. This week, the change has been the subject of a trial in Oslo District Court. Thursday there are procedures. – The case is about the right to get their right biological child home from the maternity ward, said lawyer Sølvi Nyvoll Tangen in her proceedings on Thursday morning. She is a lawyer for 78-year-old Karen Rafteseth Dokken from Vestland, mother of one of the babies. Municipal director Trond Aglen and the municipality’s lawyers. Photo: Oddgeir Øystese / news Went out and asked people to register In the autumn of 2022, the Bergen district court determined who were the biological parents of one of the babies. In news, Mona talked about growing up and how she had always felt different from the rest of the family. The news hit like a bomb in Herøy, where the change had taken place. – It is an absolutely terrible case. It has affected the local community, said municipal director Trond Aglen when he testified in court on Wednesday. We went out to the media and asked for people to report it, explained municipal director Trond Aglen in court on Wednesday. He told news at the time that they understood that people were asking questions and were worried about whether more babies had been switched. Strong feelings in the Oslo district court. Photo: Oddgeir Øystese / news Discovered in 1983 Perhaps the change would never have been discovered if it wasn’t for a blood test in 1983. It showed that one of the babies, who had now turned 18 and lived in Southern Norway, could not be the daughter in the house . The news came as a big shock to the parents. When they started asking questions to the municipality about what had happened, the questions led to the initiation of secret investigations – which concluded that two babies had been switched. But none of the people involved knew anything about it. – It has had disastrous consequences in the search for its true identity. The injustice that was done and the subsequent denial have put Mona under great stress, said Kristine Aarre Haanes, who represents one of the previously switched babies. She is now demanding up to NOK 20 million, and in her procedure referred, among other things, to the compensation payment after the acquittal in the Baneheia case. Lawyer Kristine Aarre Hånes represents one of the switched babies. Photo: Terje Bendiksby / NTB Don’t remember the former municipal doctor testifying in the case on Wednesday. He took part in surveying in six families in all secrecy. When questions arose about the case in 2022, both he and the municipality replied that they were not aware of any case about baby changing. Eventually it became clear that the documents about the case were at home in his attic. On Wednesday, he testified in court. He still remembers very little, but he insists that the municipality did the right thing. – I am satisfied with what I did then, I thought it was right. We did not have the necessary ethical and legal expertise to assess such a difficult case, he said on Wednesday. The former municipal doctor, Bjørn Martin Aasen in court. Photo: Oddgeir Øystese / news He was asked by one of the lawyers if it was not obvious that he no longer remembered. He rejects that. Published 14.11.2024, at 09.24 Updated 14.11.2024, at 09.37
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