On 17 February this year, state attorney Per Morten Schjetne declared that the three little boys, aged four, five and six, who were blamed for the death of five-year-old Siljes Marie Redergård in 1994, should be considered innocent. The joy was immediately great for the “5-year-old” and “6-year-old”, who are now in their 30s. – I am touched and very happy. It feels absolutely wonderful to be washed clean, said the 5-year-old to news. – What a relief! I have gone from being considered guilty in a murder case for 28 years to being innocent, said the 6-year-old. – Must receive an unreserved apology The 6-year-old also expressed, however, that he had an aftertaste with the public prosecutor’s decision – both in relation to the closure code and the justification. On Friday, the two men, through their lawyers, appealed the case to the Attorney General. Sigurd Klomsæt, lawyer for the 6-year-old, is asking for the reasons why the boys should be considered innocent. Lawyer Sigurd Klomsæt says it is unacceptable that his client has not been cleared in a way that removes all doubt. Photo: Ole Jørgen Kolstadbråten / news – The public prosecutor’s reference to the presumption of innocence – which no one cared about in 1994 – in reality says little other than that there is no evidentiary coverage to establish guilt, says Klomsæt. The public prosecutor dismissed the case in his decision in February based on the fact that the boys were minors at the time – the same dismissal code that was used in 1994. – When you have had to live with the label of a murderer for almost your entire life, it is unacceptable not to be cleared in a way which does not remove all doubt. Then the closure must be “no criminal offense proven”, says the lawyer. He also demands that the state must take responsibility for the mistakes made against the boys in 1994 – which had major consequences for their lives going forward. – They must receive an unreserved apology – like Viggo Kristiansen received in the Baneheia case, says Klomsæt. – Does not leave any doubt among the public He believes that all reasons other than “no criminal offense proven” will in reality leave doubt about the boys’ guilt, despite the public prosecutor’s reference to the fact that they should be considered innocent. – For the boys, the most important thing is that the public is convinced that they are innocent. This is best done by the investigation’s conclusion being formulated in a way that leaves no doubt among the public without prerequisites for understanding legal intricacies, elaborates the 6-year-old’s lawyer. Silje Redergård was found dead in a toboggan run in Trondheim in 1994. Photo: Privat / news The appeal – which is also signed by the 5-year-old’s lawyer Johannes Wegner Mæland – ends by again demanding that the investigation be moved from Trondheim to another police district. – Unfortunately, the investigation, as feared, has not produced the findings that were desperately hoped for and expected. The boys cannot settle down with the uncertainty that still exists, says Klomsæt. The appeal has been addressed to State Attorney Schjetne. He has no comment and refers to it being forwarded to the Attorney General for processing there. Murder in the toboggan run Illustration: Marius Lubbe / news On 15 October 1994, five-year-old Silje Marie Redergård was found partially undressed, abused and dead in the wet fresh snow on a toboggan run in the Drabant town of Tiller. The following day, the police chief in Trondhjem said that Silje was mistreated and left for dead by three playmates aged four, five and six. Earlier in the day, they should have told in questioning how they themselves or their friends had used serious violence against Silje. In the documentary series “Murder in the sledge”, news Brennpunkt has gone through the police documents together with a number of experts. The experts conclude that there is no technical evidence that the boys were behind the crimes against Silje, and that they were subjected to illegal interrogations and pressure. After considering the case and what emerges in the documentary series, the public prosecutor in Trøndelag, Bjørn Kristian Soknes, asked the police to start a new investigation. In February, the state attorney concluded that the boys are innocent in the case. The suspect boys are fighting the battle of their lives to be cleared.
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The boys in the Silje case are appealing to the Attorney General – news Dokumentar
