– He carried a very heavy burden, says Odin Tveiten. His grandfather, Harald Tveiten, was a highly respected police station chief, formerly called sheriff, in Rollag in Nummedal. In 1995, he was convicted of aggravated embezzlement of an elderly woman, but denied that he had done this. Nevertheless, he was sentenced to a suspended prison term of six months and had to pay back money to the woman’s heirs. He also lost his job in the police force. It was the start of a 13-year-long battle to be cleansed. – I remember well the atmosphere that could often prevail in the yard. The family was greatly affected by the tough struggle that grandfather was in, says Odin Tveiten. Harald Tveiten lost his job as a police officer in Nummedal when he was convicted. He told Dagsrevyen at the time that he struggled with the case every single day. Photo: Caroline Drefvelin / news Was acquitted after his death In 2008, the grandfather was diagnosed with blood cancer and told that he did not have long to live. – One of the first things the doctors asked was whether he had been in a significant stressful situation in his life, says Tveiten. When Harald Tveiten was about to die, the message came – his case would be reopened. – Then he was in a deep sleep, and he never regained consciousness after that. But when the message that the commission would reopen the case was delivered, he squeezed our hand. – We feel quite sure that he got the message. We choose to believe that, because he was very calm when the message was delivered. Then he died 14 hours later. Six days after his death in 2008, he was acquitted. The readmission commission is linked to the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness, where Odin Tveiten currently works. In this case, he speaks only as a private person. 20 percent are reopened The Re-admission Commission is the last hope innocent convicts have for being acquitted. In 2023, they dealt with 261 cases. On average, approximately 20 percent of cases are reopened. – There isn’t a single day that goes by that we don’t think about the importance we have, and how important we are to many, many people. That’s what the head of the commission, Anne Kamilla Silseth, says. – These are serious fates, both for the convicts who state that they have been convicted innocently, and for many offending persons and relatives, not least, says Silseth. – So I think everyone who sits on the commission is aware of the responsibility we have. Everyone who works on these matters in the commission is very keen to do the best possible job. Anne Kamilla Silseth took over the leadership of the Readmission Commission in 2023. Photo: Christian Breidlid / news In 2022, Viggo Kristiansen was acquitted of the rape and murder of a child after serving 21 years in prison. He petitioned for his case to be reopened seven times, but was not successful until the last attempt. It was under manager Siv Hallgren. – The purpose behind the establishment of this commission was to strengthen confidence in the legal certainty in reopening cases. Have you managed it? – I think that you have managed it to a certain extent. At the same time, I will not pretend that we are clear about the criticism that has come, and that that trust is not, at least not apparently, as high as we could wish, says Silseth. – So for me and for the commission, there is certainly a clear goal and desire to gain even greater trust, and to work even better so that we will gain that trust. The commission for reopening criminal cases Decides whether someone who claims to have been wrongly convicted will have the criminal case re-examined in court. The commission also has independent responsibility for investigating the cases, for example by summoning witnesses for questioning. The commission has five permanent members and three deputy members. The investigation is carried out by a secretariat, with a manager and eleven employees. The commission is an independent body that was established in 2004. Previously, the court ruled on retrials. The most important reasons for reopening are: New evidence or circumstances that may be suitable to lead to an acquittal or a lighter sentence. That the decision or proceedings are contrary to international law, where new proceedings may lead to a different result. Someone with a central role in the case has pleaded guilty to a criminal offence, which may have had an impact on the verdict. Source: www.gjenoptkakelse.no Wants to prevent it from happening to others It took 13 years from the verdict against Harald Tveiten until his case was reopened. – We had often talked about how it would be the day he hopefully had his case reopened, and would be acquitted, says Odin Tveiten. But the grandfather did not get to experience having his name cleared, and lived for many years with an incorrect judgment on him. – This case has left very deep traces that are difficult to erase, says Tveiten. – It was still important to him that we should move on in our lives. One of the last things grandfather said was that we had to tell what he had been exposed to, so that someone could learn from it, says Tveiten. The judicial murder of his grandfather influenced Odin Tveiten’s choice of path in life. He chose to study law. Photo: Christian Breidlid / news Despite the fact that he was young when things were at their worst, his grandfather’s story has gained importance in several areas of his life. – It probably triggered a curiosity in me. That’s why I chose to study law when I finished upper secondary school, he says. Tveiten wrote his master’s thesis on the reopening of criminal cases. It has also become an article in the Journal of Criminal Law. – The choice of course was also based on the fact that one day I could possibly contribute to ensuring that what he was exposed to does not happen to anyone else. Hear Odin Tveiten tell about the case in Ukeslutt:
ttn-69
The judicial murder of Harald Tveiten affects the family – in 2024 the Reinstatement Commission will be 20 years old – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
