Today is the last day of the much talked about court case, in which a total of five young men stand trial for sexual offenses against three young women in Bergen. Due to chaos in both the courtroom and social media, the trial has been postponed, and Hordaland District Court therefore opens its doors on 2 Whitsunday. Today there are proceedings in the last two charges, where a total of three men stand accused of having group sex with a 15-year-old girl. In addition, one of the three is accused of raping a woman while she was sleeping. The prosecutor believes that a year in prison is the right punishment for the men who allegedly had sex with the 15-year-old. One of them is also charged with aggravated gang rape. The prosecutor believes he should be sentenced to 5 and a half years in prison for both charges. Speaking explanations Prosecutor Benedicte Hordnes used the speaking explanations of the three accused men as a basis when she proceeded during the trial today. – The defendants’ explanations have changed from when they explained themselves in the hearing the first time, until they explained themselves now, she said. Among other things, she brought out the explanation of one of the defendants, where he said in the hearing that he had had sex with the girl in bed with the others. He said nothing about sex elsewhere in the house. In court he told the opposite; that he did not have sex with the girl in the bedroom with the others, but in the bathroom, alone. A video of the two naked together in the bathroom has been used as evidence in the case. The prosecutor believes that the scattered explanation is evidence that the men are not telling the truth and that they have changed their explanation to avoid punishment. – They have had sex together, there is no doubt about that, said the prosecutor during the proceedings. None of the men plead guilty. These are the defendants Man (23) indicted both for aggravated rape in January 2021 together with two others, and for sexual intercourse with an underage girl in 2020. Man (24) indicted for aggravated rape in January 2021 along with two others. Man (26) charged with aggravated rape in January 2021 together with two others. Man (24) indicted for sexual intercourse with a minor girl in January 2020. Man (25) indicted both for sexual intercourse with a minor girl in January 2020 and for rape in the summer of 2018. Defendant: Thought she was 16 years old Through the explanations of the defendants and the offended age has been a central theme. Did the three men know that the girl was under 16? And did they do enough to find out her age? The three men have explained that they thought the girl was over 16. One of them has also explained that he asked for identification before they had sex. – It is a strange thing to ask about, said the prosecutor during the explanation to the defendant last week. She assumes that the defendants’ explanations are not credible here either, and that they did not do enough to find out the girl’s age before they had sex with her. Meiner 5 years is the right for gang rape On Friday, the prosecutor proceeded with the indictment for aggravated gang rape. Three men are on trial for raping a young woman together at a party. The rape must have been violent and rough. – This happens with high intensity, it happens brutally, said the prosecutor on Friday. She believes that the defendants knew that they achieved the sexual intercourse by force. Therefore, she believes that five years is the right punishment for the men who stand accused. In court on a public holiday The last day in court ended up being the 2nd Whitsunday due to late arrivals. Among other things, three incidents in connection with the court case have been reported to the police: Spreading of the indictment with the names of the accused and the offended on social media. A video the Bergen artist Kamelen shared on his social media, where he talks to one of the defendants in a shop and, among other things, asks if he “likes raping children”. Posters with the names and addresses of the defendants that were hung up in the Bergen area. Coroner Håkon Rastum in Hordaland District Court says it is rare that trials are conducted on holidays. – It is very unusual, to put it bluntly. It happens that I have court hearings on red days, but there are prisons. The last court day had to take place today, among other things because defender John Christian Elden will represent in another case in the Supreme Court on Tuesday. Hear more about the case in the news podcast Updated:
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The prosecutor asks for a year in prison for group sex with a 15-year-old – news Vestland
