When the minister of justice announced that he would get tougher on serious crimes, he forgot one important aspect: Since Norway’s prisons are of the highest quality – prisoners even get paid for being there, and still earn a right for pension as long as they are sentenced for a serious-enough crime -, keeping criminals where they should be is a costly affair. And there simply is no money for longer sentences. Thus, serious criminals will continue to be set free way too early.
Update: a serial rapist has just gotten his sentence reduced. He has been convicted of 8 cases of serious, violent rapes, for which he originally received a sentence of 15 years. This has now been reduced to 12 years. His crimes had been especially hideous, where the victims had feared for their life during the assault. One victim took her own life, the others will never get over their abuse. So, according to the highest court in Norway, ruining a person’s life gets you 1.5 years in a comfortable prison, all expenses paid.
In the meantime the bureau for statistics published that about 1/4 of the Norwegian population goes to the dentist less than once a year. In northern Norway one in six people have not been to the dentist the past two years.
Meanwhile the majority (as in 99%) of journalists put all the blame for the Gaza-convoy debacle on Israel. Thankfully, a select few are more balanced and recognize that there are always two parties to any conflict. Without balance, there will never be a solution.
