Mass Killer Anders Breivik Sentenced To 21 Years In Prison

[bigbamboo]

Great to see a measured response to all this from the Norwegians, rather than the knee-jerk histrionics we see in US and UK.

I think a few people need to familiarise themselves with philosophies and aims of the Norwegian prison system.

I would have thought he forefeited his human rights when he showed no regard for those of others.

[watcharacters]

Too bad he can't receive a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

Although he surely is a complete nut case.

Edited August 24, 2012 by watcharacters

[sydneyjed]

A <Snip> joke..sorry but what more can you say??

Edited August 24, 2012 by metisdead
: Profanity

[Credo]

Great to see a measured response to all this from the Norwegians, rather than the knee-jerk histrionics we see in US and UK.

<snipped>

Is the Norwegian response really measured, or is what is presented to the outside world measured? I am not being sarcastic. Have there been any polls etc. about what people think should happen to him?

[sirchai]

I wish Dr. Mengele would have the chance to "test" new medicine using him as a patient.

This guy's obviously still thinking the killing of so many innocent people wasn't inappropriate.

What about all the parents, friends and people watching this guy?

Religious beliefs as an excuse? I'm not Pro Muslim, I'm just an ordinary guy thinking that this world sucks.

I believe there should be exceptions to execute people in a way that others would never do something similar.Like a torture with a "happy end " live on TV late night,going on for weeks.........

Edited August 24, 2012 by sirchai

[Ulysses G.]

He was not a Christian. He said that he did not believe in it, but was somehow a "Christan" because of his racial heritage.

[Thaddeus]

Great to see a measured response to all this from the Norwegians, rather than the knee-jerk histrionics we see in US and UK.

<snipped>

Is the Norwegian response really measured, or is what is presented to the outside world measured? I am not being sarcastic. Have there been any polls etc. about what people think should happen to him?

I know four Norwegian chaps here and they all say that they would love to get him alone for ten minutes, with a tyre iron.

[sirchai]

He was not a Christian. He said that he did not believe in it, but was somehow a "Christan" because of his racial heritage.

You're right. "Anders" in German means different.

[smotherb]

From all accounts Swedish prisons are classed as good as your 5 star hotels he will enjoy a life of luxury without having to worry about paying any bills filling his belly with food to me that is not punishment !! R.I.P to those he killed and my thoughts and prayers to those who still suffer from this mad madmans actions .

I know I am too late, that post was three hours ago, but I just have to say it. Oslo is Norway, not Sweden. I really didn't expect that, I would have bet someone would have blamed the Thai legal system for this light sentence.

[AjarnP]

Frankly, I'm gobsmacked. The equation works out at barely 100 days per young life that was snuffed out by this moronic hater.

One can only hope that pressure from outside will come to bear and that the Norwegian prosecutor will appeal the sentence.

IMHO. 21 years to life, no parole for each death. Sentence to be consecutive, not concurrent.

Edited August 24, 2012 by Scott

[transam]

I will risk a ban as a tear has been in my eye, BUT, I hope a grieving dad will carry out the right sentence 21 years down the line.

[cowslip]

Great to see a measured response to all this from the Norwegians, rather than the knee-jerk histrionics we see in US and UK.

<snipped>

Is the Norwegian response really measured, or is what is presented to the outside world measured? I am not being sarcastic. Have there been any polls etc. about what people think should happen to him?

Polls - - What are you on about?

I'm referring to the fact that the country has not indulged in any knee-jerk legislation or clampdowns on its own democratic freedoms like the states and elsewhere.

I'm saying that Norway has felt with this in a civilised and controlled way, rather than engaging in the histrionics that appear to be the main theme by those on this thread.

Edited August 24, 2012 by cowslip

[Muggi1968]

If anyone want to see what this man Breivik was thinking, he made a video manifest:

http://www.telly.com/EXJWW?fromtwitvid=1

I do not think he was insane. Just extremely radical.

Extremism comes in many forms and have many faces .....

Today the world is a little safer.....

[transam]

If anyone want to see what this man Breivik was thinking, he made a video manifest:

http://www.telly.com...<br /><br />I do not think he was insane. Just extremely radical.

Extremism comes in many forms and have many faces .....

Today the world is a little safer.....

Noooooo, he's not underground. The greens will probably release him as a nice chap and he will kill somebody else's kid.

[rbrooks]

This man killed innocent children and has no remorse. Norway may feel that because they have no death penalty they are special or have a higher form of democracy. I feel they are absolutely wrong in this case and this animal should have received a death sentence. He will now live in solitary for 21 years probably no parole and maybe an extension of his sentence unless he shows remorse and good behavior. The victims families will never receive closure and will feel unsafe and tortured as long as he is still alive. Citizens of Norway will be paying the bill for Breivik's incarceration. So in essence everyone loses and is threatened except Breivik. He will probably write a book, gain popularity and god forbid, a copycat killer comes along and continues his mission. I say if he acts like an animal he should be treated as one would in a pack or herd under nature's laws. Sometimes animals behave more sanely than we do and have laws that are simple but fair. In a pack, herd, flock, etc a deranged animal that is threat to the group will be killed by the group swiftly and life goes on.

[maidu]

I came to this thread late. Several posters beat me to it, but in Norway, a murder is worth a mere 13 weeks in the slammer, and comfortable one at that. I heard earlier, that, rather than have him serve time in isolation (too cruel, awwww), the prison system has found two guys who think like him, and are going to let the 3 guys have comfortable isolation, 3 meals a day, warm beds, medical care, cable TV.

They should allow one member of each family, voluntarily, to go in small groups, with rubber hoses, and beat the shit out of that guy, each and every morning before his breakfast.

Interesting that every post I read on here agrees the sentence was too light.

[rbrooks]

Cowslip, I am assuming that the victim's families will not receive closure after seeing the killer of their children walk away to live another day in complete safety and security along with 3 meals a day and free medical care paid for by their own tax dollars. How would you feel if this happened to your loved ones? It is easy to judge when a tragedy happens to another person's family but when it hits home then the pain and anger deepens.

[rixalex]

Great to see a measured response to all this from the Norwegians, rather than the knee-jerk histrionics we see in US and UK.

<snipped>

Is the Norwegian response really measured, or is what is presented to the outside world measured? I am not being sarcastic. Have there been any polls etc. about what people think should happen to him?

Polls - - What are you on about?

You talked about there having been a measured response from the Norwegians, so one might take from that you were speaking about the response of the people of Norway. To know that, you would need to poll them. The people of Norway may be in complete disagreement with the outcome of their legal system. Do you accept that possibility?

[bangkokrick]

I really hope that the prison guards accidently forget to lock his cell door one night.

[Scott]

Off-topic, baiting, inflammatory posts and replies have been deleted. Posters are welcome to post their opinion within the rules. The thread is about Breivik's sentence. Comments about other posters opinions are not relevant.

Please stay on the topic.

[kristofferR]

I'm really surprised at the level of hatred here.

There is no such a thing as justice in case of murders and the illusion of it (eye for an eye) only leads to even more human suffering. Don't tell me the "US Justice System" is about justice, it's just about revenge and inflicting hurt on people who have hurt others.

And yes - the Norwegian prison system (which is fantastically successful both at results and costs) are just about two things:

• Protecting society from offenders if they're dangerous
  
• Rehabilitating the offenders and making sure they become safe and productive members of society, facilitating release after the mandatory part of the sentence is finished
  

We don't punish people here because the primal sense of revenge humans have. When we punish people by taking away basic human rights, we do it because we have to and would like to do so for a short a period of time as possible instead of gleefully legally torturing them for the enjoyment of the masses.

Norway has some problems like every country, but our criminal care system isn't one of them. Instead of advocating/teaching violence through the prison system, we prevent and treat it through it. Our system is one of the main reasons for the very low violence rate in Norway.

Brevik did terrible evil things and will likely spend the majority of his life in prison for it, but please don't act as we're the bad guys for having a extremely successfull system that gives you a second chance to make things right for society while you're advocating running over him with asphalt steam rollers.

Edited August 24, 2012 by kristofferR

[transam]

I'm really surprised at the level of hatred here.

There is no such a thing as justice in case of murders and the illusion of it (eye for an eye) only leads to even more human suffering. Don't tell me the "US Justice System" is about justice, it's just about revenge and inflicting hurt on people who have hurt others.

And yes - the Norwegian prison system (which is fantastically successful both at results and costs) are just about two things:

• Protecting society from offenders if they're dangerous
  
• Rehabilitating the offenders and making sure they become safe and productive members of society, facilitating release after the mandatory part of the sentence is finished
  

We don't punish people here because the primal sense of revenge humans have. When we punish people by taking away basic human rights, we do it because we have to and would like to do so for a short a period of time as possible instead of gleefully legally torturing them for the enjoyment of the masses.

If YOUR daughter has her brains spread over the scenery then come back here with the same post.

[bangkokrick]

I'm really surprised at the level of hatred here.

There is no such a thing as justice in case of murders and the illusion of it (eye for an eye) only leads to even more human suffering. Don't tell me the "US Justice System" is about justice, it's just about revenge and inflicting hurt on people who have hurt others.

And yes - the Norwegian prison system (which is fantastically successful both at results and costs) are just about two things:

• Protecting society from offenders if they're dangerous
  
• Rehabilitating the offenders and making sure they become safe and productive members of society, facilitating release after the mandatory part of the sentence is finished
  

We don't punish people here because the primal sense of revenge humans have. When we punish people by taking away basic human rights, we do it because we have to and would like to do so for a short a period of time as possible instead of gleefully legally torturing them for the enjoyment of the masses.

If YOUR daughter has her brains spread over the scenery then come back here with the same post.

Totally in agreement Transam. The personal grief must be unmeasurable.

[endure]

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/07/25/277771/norway-is-safe/?mobile=nc

[kristofferR]

I'm really surprised at the level of hatred here.

There is no such a thing as justice in case of murders and the illusion of it (eye for an eye) only leads to even more human suffering. Don't tell me the "US Justice System" is about justice, it's just about revenge and inflicting hurt on people who have hurt others.

And yes - the Norwegian prison system (which is fantastically successful both at results and costs) are just about two things:

• Protecting society from offenders if they're dangerous
  
• Rehabilitating the offenders and making sure they become safe and productive members of society, facilitating release after the mandatory part of the sentence is finished
  

We don't punish people here because the primal sense of revenge humans have. When we punish people by taking away basic human rights, we do it because we have to and would like to do so for a short a period of time as possible instead of gleefully legally torturing them for the enjoyment of the masses.

Norway has some problems like every country, but our criminal care system isn't one of them. Instead of advocating/teaching violence through the prison system, we prevent and treat it through it. Our system is one of the main reasons for the very low violence rate in Norway.

Brevik did terrible evil things and will likely spend the majority of his life in prison for it, but please don't act as we're the bad guys for having a extremely successfull system that gives you a second chance to make things right for society while you're advocating running over him with asphalt steam rollers.

If YOUR daughter has her brains spread over the scenery then come back here with the same post.

Totally in agreement Transam. The personal grief must be unmeasurable.

This may not be very useful to you since it's in Norwegian, but it confirms that Norwegians are absolutely against the death penalty still and that most of the next of kin of his victims are satisfied with his sentence.

http://www.dagbladet...traff/18499197/

http://www.ba.no/nyh...icle6203598.ece

The personal grief is undoubtedly unmeasurable. And how does a lot of personal grief justify steam roller torture exactly? An "Eye for an eye" is appealing emotionally, but it's an incredibly stupid way to deal with tough issues like this.

Edited August 24, 2012 by kristofferR

[catweazle]

Where the <Snip!> is Dexter when we really need him???

Despite of the fact that the whole Utoya story is very fishy with a lot of unanswered questions, i.e. second and perhaps third killer, anti-terror maneuvers pretending very similar scenarios (car bomb/shooter on the loose) that ended just two hours before Breivik started bombing and shooting... it is unbelievable that 77 killed people are worth only 21 years in prison to a "western" and "civilized" court... I am lost for words.

On the other hand, there is a crazy witch hunt going on to catch and most likely kill Julian Assange, whistleblower on secret societies, shadow governments, conspiracies, etc. who seemed to have stumbled into a honeypot trap. The Brits even threated to raid the Equadorian embassy to get their hands on him, most likely with the goal to kill him in the quarrel or ship him to Guantanamo Bay - or to in the softest scenario - hand him a life sentence in the US...

Talkin about shooting sparrows with a cannon... while a mass murderer gets 21 years of free food and accommodation in a cozy Norway prison, where as far as I know a whole area has been built especially to accommodate Breivik.

Sit down, take some Prozac and read this:

Inside the World's Most Humane Prison

Anders Behring Breivik, the man accused of the July 22 killing spree and bomb attack, could be sent to Halden, a Norwegian high-security prison that aims to rehabilitate criminals with comfortable and thoroughly modern facilities.

Read more: http://www.time.com/...l#ixzz24TBkCK5H

Work of Art

To ease the psychological burdens of imprisonment, the planners at Halden spent roughly $1 million on paintings, photography and light installations. According to a prison informational pamphlet, this mural by Norwegian graffiti artist Dolk "brings a touch of humor to a rather controlled space." Officials hope the art — along with creative outlets like drawing classes and wood workshops — will give inmates "a sense of being taken seriously." Photo taken 2010.

The Outside In

The maximum sentence in Norway, even for murder, is 21 years. Since most inmates will eventually return to society, prisons mimic the outside world as much as possible to prepare them for freedom. At Halden, rooms include en-suite bathrooms with ceramic tiles, mini-fridges and flat-screen TVs. Officials say sleeker televisions afford inmates less space to hide drugs and other contraband. Photo taken 2010.

Home Away from Home

Every 10 to 12 cells share a kitchen and living room, where prisoners prepare their evening meals and relax after a day of work. None of the windows at Halden have bars. Photo taken 2010.

Free Time

Security guards organize activities from 8:00 in the morning until 8:00 in the evening. It's a chance for inmates to pick up a new hobby, but it's also a part of the prison's dynamic security strategy: occupied prisoners are less likely to lash out at guards and one another. Inmates can shoot hoops on this basketball court, which absorbs falls on impact, and make use of a rock-climbing wall, jogging trails and a soccer field. Photo taken 2010.

Recording Artists

There's also a recording studio with a professional mixing board. In-house music teachers — who refer to the inmates as "pupils," never "prisoners" — work with their charges on piano, guitar, bongos and more. Three members of Halden's security-guard chorus recently competed on Norway's version of American Idol. They hope to produce the prison's first musical — starring inmates — later this year. Photo taken 2010.

I have to stop here, because I have difficulties containing myself...

Most "normal" people out there would never have access to any facilities like that... perhaps Breivik will record a debut album in prison and become a famous rock star...

If you really want to get angry, guys - then click through that of that article's 11 pages and "facilities"

This is outrageous!

http://www.time.com/...2144217,00.html

Edited August 24, 2012 by metisdead
: Profanity

[h90]

The evil scumbag should have been found to be insane (solely because he didn't want that to happen) and still never see the light of day again.

My heart still goes out all affected and the Norwegian people as a whole.

why do you think insane people don't see the light of the day in Norway? I think Norway takes care well for sick people.

[catweazle]

I'm really surprised at the level of hatred here.

There is no such a thing as justice in case of murders and the illusion of it (eye for an eye) only leads to even more human suffering. Don't tell me the "US Justice System" is about justice, it's just about revenge and inflicting hurt on people who have hurt others.

And yes - the Norwegian prison system (which is fantastically successful both at results and costs) are just about two things:

• Protecting society from offenders if they're dangerous
  
• Rehabilitating the offenders and making sure they become safe and productive members of society, facilitating release after the mandatory part of the sentence is finished
  

We don't punish people here because the primal sense of revenge humans have. When we punish people by taking away basic human rights, we do it because we have to and would like to do so for a short a period of time as possible instead of gleefully legally torturing them for the enjoyment of the masses.

If YOUR daughter has her brains spread over the scenery then come back here with the same post.

@V8 - nothing more to add to that, well said!

[h90]

he is clearly not a right wing in the European understanding. he is ultra christian with a complete mix of extreme right and left ideas.

In his understanding he fought to protect Norway, so he should go in some closed institute that takes care of him till he mentally recovers (which won't happen, I guess).

He did it with good intentions, just his mind is not in this world....

Can you listen to yourself! "He did it with good intentions" !!! The slaughter of 77 people. I am sure the Nazi's would claim they committed Genocide with 'good intentions', or Al Qaeda would claim the brought down the twin towers with 'good intentions'. You have fallen for his "I did it for Norway' story, like all Norwegians should be grateful. I find it difficult to fathom the rational behind some of the comments on this thread. He is a mass murderer and there is no motivation that justifies what he has done. Blimey, I need to go for some fresh air and clear my head, I can't believe what I am reading.

hope the fresh air did help.....

So with more oxygen in your brain, think again what would be better:

put him in jail, which is comfortable for 21 years, he of course will go out much earlier if he is a nice guy.

or

tell that guy is insane, we must take care of him and take care that he doesn't hurt himself or anyone else in future, so we lock him forever in some special facility.

I don't respond specific to the Nazi or Al Qaeda, as that would be off topic.

But here we have a single person that lives in a dream world, not an Organization.

Breivik: goes in the Bank and kills everyone to steal 1.000.000 Euro=Normal a*shole criminal.

Breivik: kills NORWEGIAN children to safe Norway from the evil foreigner and in the name of Christi is complete crazy, it isn't a normal crime, it is a malfunction.

[siampreggers]

Rehabilitation is the key.

I'm sure with the TLC of the Norweigen prison system he might even be rehabilitated to re-enter society when his minimum period of 10 years is reached.