Around 75 Norwegian citizens have so far made it out of war-torn Sudan. The three children from Buskerud are not among them. – Why don’t you agree that we can take the children to, for example, the Norwegian embassy in Khartoum? The Norwegian authorities could have come there and picked them up, says prosecutor Monica Hanø. The accused father explains himself in Buskerud district court today. He is accused of having abducted his three children to Sudan last summer. The children are under ten years old and were all born and raised in Norway. During the trial, intensive work has been done to get the children on a plane out of the country. – Not safe Both the prosecutor and the judge repeatedly ask him why he is not cooperating to get the children out now that work is being done intensively to get Norwegian citizens evacuated. A convoy of cars leaves the war-torn capital Khartoum in Sudan, heading to Port Sudan, in the east of the country. Photo: ABUBAKARR JALLOH / AFP He says that he and his defender have tried to get the children to the airport, but that it is not safe. – But what is the reason why we have to take the children through many unsafe areas, when they are in a safe place. Why take the children to the airport when it is risky and something could happen to them. Why should we do it when we can wait until it is safer, he says. Asked for money to travel to pick up the children The man is also charged with having prevented the Norwegian authorities from getting in contact with the children. He is asked why he has not cooperated in bringing children home before – they have been in Sudan since last summer. He explains this by saying that he has been in custody since the autumn. According to himself, he has launched proposals such as that the Norwegian authorities can give him money for him to travel to collect the children, that he can travel with the police to collect the children, or that he can travel with the police to the Sudanese embassy in Egypt to pick up the children. These proposals have been rejected, according to the defendant. The possibility is dramatically reduced – It probably doesn’t look like we’ll get the children out now, unfortunately. Children’s welfare lawyer Sjak Haaheim. Photo: Caroline Utti / news That’s what the children’s welfare lawyer Sjak Haaheim says. He explains that the father had the opportunity to sign a document to get the children out. – But he said no to that, says Haaheim. – How do you continue to work on trying to get them evacuated? – The possibility of getting the children out now is dramatically reduced compared to when the Norwegian authorities started the evacuation of Norwegian citizens. – The special thing about this case is that these are children who are on the run in a country with conditions ravaged by civil war. It is unknown whether the children can be saved, and whether the authorities can contribute. The question then becomes whether it is possible to get them out in other ways. But this is far too early to know anything about now, says Sjak Haaheim. Sent by bus In his explanation, the accused father says that he sent the children with his sister to Sudan when the family was in Egypt last summer. He wanted his wife and children to stay in Sudan, while he himself traveled to Norway to arrange a number of practical things, such as housing and work. Photo: Caroline Utti / news He says that he and his wife agreed to give his sister authorization to take the children to Sudan, which the wife said was not the case when she explained herself in court on Tuesday. The mother told the court yesterday that at the bus stop in Egypt she tried to oppose the children going to Sudan, and an argument and shoving ensued between her and the defendant. Today it also emerges, based on what the defendant explains, that the children have been with his sister until now. But because of the hostilities, they have now moved to the extended family, a few hours’ drive away, where his sister has taken care of them. In addition, the man is accused of threats and use of violence against his wife. The man has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The man’s defender Monica Behn Jacobsen does not want to comment on the case today.
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Three Norwegian children still left in Sudan – the defendant does not agree to evacuation now – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
