The case in summary: The ex-girlfriend of the defendant in the murder case of Oliver Ravn Rønning testifies to a relationship characterized by violence and strict rules. The witness describes an isolating relationship where it was forbidden to lock the door to the bathroom and there were rules for what one could say. The defendant is said to have often used violence, including a case of rape that was reported but later dismissed. The defendant pleads not guilty to the murder, and claims it happened in an emergency. The witness was not surprised when the murder happened, and understood early on who it was about. The defendant admits to having been an unstable and bad partner, but denies the allegations of physical violence. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – There were several words I was not allowed to say, and many people I was refused to speak to, explains the witness via video link from his home elsewhere in the country. The ex-girlfriend testifies in the trial after the murder of Oliver Ravn Rønning (22) in Porsgrunn on the night of 27 November last year. Like the deceased, the ex-boyfriend was born a woman, but identifies as a man. Rønning’s spouse (19) is charged with the murder, which happened with a bat in the apartment they had just moved into. The defendant is legally a man, but wants to be referred to as a woman. It is therefore the latter’s ex-boyfriend who will testify on Monday. – I cried a lot The two met via the app Yubo in the spring of 2022. The relationship must have become difficult early on. – I cried a lot. I became very isolated, both from friends and family. – I felt more like a pet or an object, explains the witness. It was forbidden to lock the bathroom door, and there were rules about what you could say. The defendant is said to have often used violence, says the ex. This also involved a case of rape, which was subsequently reported, the explanation states. However, the case was dropped. – One of the reasons why I filed a complaint was that it should not happen again, explains the witness in court, who with the help of the immediate family managed to break with the defendant in autumn 2022. This is the case: Photo: Stig Bolme / news Night to 27 November Oliver Ravn Rønning (22) was beaten to death with a bat by his girlfriend in an apartment at Hovenga in Porsgrunn. Only a few days earlier the couple had rented and moved into the apartment. The murder victim was born a woman, but saw herself as a man. The accused spouse is legally a man but wishes to be referred to as a woman. A now 19-year-old woman has been charged with the murder. She was 18 years old when the incident took place. Rønning’s mother witnessed parts of her son’s murder as she waited outside the couple’s apartment. The two visited the emergency room in Porsgrunn the evening before the murder occurred, in connection with an episode of violence between the two. The defendant then called the police, but they did not intervene. The deceased’s survivors believe the murder could have been prevented if they had come to the scene. The special unit is now investigating whether the police could have acted differently. The trial started on Monday 17 June. The prosecution has announced that they will ask for a custodial sentence, while defender Heidi Ysen is asking for a full acquittal. You can read more about developments in the investigation here. – Didn’t want to be such a person The defendant pleads not guilty for the murder of Rønning, and claims it happened out of necessity. The 19-year-old takes notes diligently on a sheet of paper during the explanation, but sits calmly between his two defenders, Heidi Ysen and Tore Moen. The prosecutor wonders how the defendant reacts to the witness’s claims. – Much of it is true, but there is much that is not told, claims the 19-year-old, who refers to a previous relationship as the reason why it was difficult to trust people in the period in question. – I was probably too ill to understand why I behaved the way I did. When asked about physical violence, the 19-year-old replies that it is not true. – But that I was emotionally unstable, and a bad partner, I have been, says the defendant. Not surprised by the murder When Oliver Ravn Rønning (22) was killed in November last year, the defendant’s ex-girlfriend understood early on who it was about, says the witness. Odd Skei Kostveit, police inspector at the South-East police district and state attorney Helene Holtvedt. Photo: Nils Fridtjof Skumsvoll / news – What did you think when you heard about the murder? asks prosecutor Odd Skei Kostveit. – I was not surprised. It was just another step up. It was a similar situation that she wanted me in, in an apartment isolated from everyone else. – Why did you think like that? asks Kostveit. – Well. You see what has happened, replies the witness. Published 24.06.2024, at 14.17 Updated 24.06.2024, at 14.40
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Oliver Ravn Rønning (22) killed with a bat
