Norodd Stavenjord was a priest in Kopervik when Birgitte Tengs was killed, and held the funeral in Åkra church a week after the incident. – My immediate thought is that we are back to zero here in the local community. We have been waiting for over 28 years to get a clarification that could enable those closest to us and the local community to lower their shoulders, he says when he learns of the acquittal on Tuesday. On Tuesday, Johny Vassbakk was acquitted of the murder of Birgitte Tengs. Two of the judges in the Gulating Court of Appeal thought he had to be sentenced, while five of the judges thought he could not be sentenced for the murder. This means that after 28 years, no one has yet been convicted of the murder of Birgitte Tengs. – Not knowing is worse than knowing, although this is very tragic no matter how you look at it, says Stavenjord. Ragnhild Nilsson lives in Kopervik, and says that she did not expect the result. Ragnhild Nilsson was in tears when she talked about the acquittal. Photo: Thomas Ystrøm / news – It’s absolutely terrible. I am completely shocked. That it works, poor parents. She, along with the rest of the municipality, has been affected by the 28-year-old murder case. – It has been absolutely terrible for the whole island. Now it is terribly important to get a clarification. I have no words, this is deep in my heart, she says. Marked local community Mayor of Karmøy, Leiv Arne Marhaug (H), also says that the municipality has been marked by the case for a long time. – The case has gone through thorough consideration in the Court of Appeal, where a conclusion has been reached. We have to deal with it and trust that it is the right decision. Mayor of Karmøy, Leiv Arne Marhaug. Photo: Thomas Ystrøm / news – How is it for Karmøy that there is no clarification in the case? – There are a lot of people who had hoped that it would be possible to put an end to it, but we probably have to live with the fact that this is an unsolved murder case. This is a very painful issue that has led to division in the local community. Now there is yet another man who has been acquitted of murder, and we have to deal with that. The Birgitte case Johny Vassbakk was accused of having killed Birgitte Tengs on Karmøy on the night of 6 May 1995. In the Haugaland and Sunnhordland District Court, Vassbakk was sentenced to 17 years in prison on 6 February. He has always denied criminal guilt. On 5 December 2023, he was acquitted of the murder. Kopervik is described as a village where many people know each other. – The closer you know each other, the more impact it makes when something so bad happens. It has affected many for many years. I am completely convinced that it will still do so, says Stavenjord. He himself says that the fact that the case did not receive a final verdict on Tuesday means that he too will carry the case forward with him. – It is important to get clarification as far as possible. If you have to take hold of new threads to get new tracks, then it is to be hoped that it can lead to something. But it doesn’t look bright now, he says and adds: – What is important now is to come to your senses, and not spend time on speculation. Rather, one must deal with the fact that the accused has been acquitted, and accept that. Local editor: – Had a bad feeling in my stomach if he was found guilty During the reading of the acquittal, the police and the prosecution were strongly criticized. – I recognize myself in the assessments of the court in that there is such strong doubt and uncertainty that I would have a bad feeling in my stomach if he was found guilty, says editor of Haugesund’s Avis, Einar Tho. – It is still a kind of shock, because it is a continuation of this legal scandal where people are first convicted and then acquitted. Einar Tho calls the Tengs case a judicial scandal. Photo: Thomas Halleland / news The cousin of Birgitte Tengs was convicted of the murder in 1997, but appealed and was acquitted of the murder in the Court of Appeal the following year. He was nevertheless sentenced to pay compensation to Teng’s parents in a civil case, which was canceled in 2022. – There is no joy. It is tragic that the case is still unsolved. Once again, a person has been dragged into this. He has been exposed in the national media with his name and picture. Now he will be a free man and live on. It is tragic, says Tho and adds: – The worst thing is still that the parents of Birgitte Tengs have not received an answer. – Got a little empty Gunn Håvarstein also reacted when she heard about the acquittal. – I was a little empty. At the same time, there has been a lot wrong in this case, she says. Gunn Håvarstein hopes the residents will find peace. Photo: Thomas Ystrøm / news She describes an unrest in the local community surrounding the case. – I hope that we can have peace at some point. Every time you see something new about the case in the newspaper, you stir a little more, she says.
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Strong reactions in Kopervik after Vassbakk was acquitted of the murder of Birgitte Tengs – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
