Court Declares Oslo "Game Addict" Killer Breivik Sane

[Morten Skiftesvik]

In some countries, an insanity diagnosis can actually mean the convict will spend a longer time behind bars than if he was judged sane and put in a regular prison, because his time will not be limited to a maximum set by the judge but at the discretion of the doctors. If the patient is a high-profile case, the doctors will bury him in the system.

Does Norway do things differently?

Not really.
One argument I heard people make(both here and IRL) is that they want him to be accountable for his actions. The justice system is there to rehabilitate, but also to punish, tho to a lesser extent than the US system.

It also serves as a trials by fire for the system itself, and the people who operate it.
Can they let the system deal with cases as extreme like this? Or will it crumble and succumb to "barbarism" by abandoning ideals that was fundamental in it prior to this event.

 

[DracoSuave]

He kills 77 people and only gets 21 years in prison!?!?!? Norway is messed up.

They have a murder rate seven times less than the states.

It's so low, in fact, that this single man is enough to quadruple their murder rate for 2011.

I hate to criticize a system that actually seems to work. Maybe they're not the ones that are messed up.

They also have a population 1/100th that of the United states. They have a vastly more homogenous population. They're surrounded by stable, successful, western countries. Not really comparable situations.

You're next to Canada, ffs. Come on.

Yes, I'm clearly talking about Canada. All that violence along the Canadian border I'm always hearing about. e_e American only borders 1 country right? That 22.7 murder rate in Mexico has no effect on... say New Mexico?

Are you saying that the US having the highest murder rate in the developed world outside Russia is because of Mexico?

I mean yeah, it has an effect but COME ON. It's not like you're in war-torn africa or anything.

You might as well say Texas has a superior legal system to Washington DC because it has 1/5th the murder rate. Or New Hampshire vs New Mexico where New Hampshire has 1/11th the murder rate.

Since New Hampshire has a murder rate about the same as Norway I guess that means it's got just as good a justice system. Right?

Actually, you know what country seems to have an amazingly good justice system? China. Iran and Syria also apparently have a better justice system than the United States too.

Dude, US has got the worst murder rate of ALL developed countries. (Except Russia) I'm not saying it's the penal system, but let's face it... the states is simply NOT an authority on the matter from any standpoint.

In short you're saying. You're American, so shut up. Delightful. But as I said, you want to use Murder Rates to determine how good a justice system is? Great, lets take up China's Justice system or Iran. Both have lower Murder rates, both countries also execute far more people than America does. Heck, China has lower Murder rates than France, England, or Canada. We should all use the Chinese model then.

That's a bit of a strawman tho. I'm not suggesting we go to countries with massive human rights violations as good examples either. That's stupid. I'm not using those countries as basis for comparisons.

Look, however at Norway, England, France, Canada... they're doing something right, without suffering human rights issues--some as equally mutlicultural as the states. Maybe something can be learned there, cause whatever you guys are doing in the states ain't workin'.

I'm just saying instead of criticizing Norway for what they're doing here, realise they're actually doing it right, and try to figure out WHY it works.

 

[Morten Skiftesvik]

I'll point a careful finger of why the US penal system isn't like it's European counterparts is because of it's founders(whatever good qualities the puritans had, if they really are to blame for the current penal system in the US, that was one major bad one). Luggage of the past, and all that. :|
I have a feeling that even if the desire to get a system like what we have here, the current one may be too entrenched into the US to pull it out while avoiding total chaos ,leaving you with a situation that is worse than the one it replaces.

Ofc, all theories, but I believe there's some merit to it. As bad as it is, tamper with it and it could get so, so much worse(or better, who knows).

 

[antipunt]

He moved to a farm....after farming for years on WoW

am I the only one who noticed this >_>

 

[Something Amyss]

MIGHT never get out. Every 5 years after the first 21 he has a chance. I don't trust a country with no death penalty and a maximum of 21 year sentence not to eventually let him go.

Yeah, I have trouble trusting an established working pattern. Especially when there's no death penalty.

 

[2012 Wont Happen]

Everybody in this thread hinting at prison rape doesn't know much about Norway's prisons.

They are nicer than the dorms American students stay in. By far.

 

[Morten Skiftesvik]

He moved to a farm....after farming for years on WoW

am I the only one who noticed this >_>

Probably not. I'll admit that my first thought was "oh fertilizer is* explosive"

*can be made into

 

[CardinalPiggles]

So if he isn't insane, why did he murder all those people?

 

[Defenestra]

It's over for him. Norway will take from him everything that a society that puts a sincere effort in to being civilized can take. Perhaps someday he will walk out of prison a free (if widely despised) man, but in that unlikely event, he'll probably be too old to do more than mutter obscenities and wet himself.

I find it reassuring that someone putting such a sincere effort in to dragging the world backward into hateful, tribalistic warface is being handled in a sane and civilized manner. His desires don't matter. He is a failure in every way.

 

[Ledan]

So in the end Breivik wins. He succeeded in killing 77 people, wounded 242 others and gets to spend the next 21 years in a cushy Swedish prison.

Norweigan, and he will probably never be let out. After 21 years his case is re-examined. He will definetly get another 21 years from that. And so on.....

 

[DugMachine]

Part of me is glad he'll spend his entire life in prison but another part of me hates that he's happy he's considered 'sane'. That little quote of his is just insult to injury. I understand those prisons probably aren't as awful as USA's but I truly hope he gets butt fucked 21 THOUSAND times.

Awful, monstrous excuse for a human being and I hope he never walks free again.

 

[Dango]

Personally, I think he should be sent to a mental asylum, rehabilitated, and released back into society.

But apparently that's silly as fuck by this thread's standards.

Also, don't bother quoting me to tell me how stupid I am, I already know it'll go something like this:

My post

You: Rabble rabble My opinion is different than yours! rabble rabble

Me: OK

 

[JWAN]

Its too bad they don't have any left over Viking death pits they could have thrown him into to rot.

 

[Darkmantle]

He kills 77 people and only gets 21 years in prison!?!?!? Norway is messed up.

They have a murder rate seven times less than the states.

It's so low, in fact, that this single man is enough to quadruple their murder rate for 2011.

I hate to criticize a system that actually seems to work. Maybe they're not the ones that are messed up.

They also have a population 1/100th that of the United states. They have a vastly more homogenous population. They're surrounded by stable, successful, western countries. Not really comparable situations.

You might as well say Texas has a superior legal system to Washington DC because it has 1/5th the murder rate. Or New Hampshire vs New Mexico where New Hampshire has 1/11th the murder rate.

Since New Hampshire has a murder rate about the same as Norway I guess that means it's got just as good a justice system. Right?

Actually, you know what country seems to have an amazingly good justice system? China. Iran and Syria also apparently have a better justice system than the United States too.

"Murder rate" takes into account population differences. It's measured like a percentage. Saying "America is bigger" doesn't mean a god damn thing.

 

[Darkmantle]

EDIT: oh captcha errors, what would we do without you?

 

[Madgamer13]

Greets!

This is good, very good indeed. In cases like these, the accused usually want to make a message, or become noticed. Breivik wanted to make a political message when he killed all those students, which was reinforced by the targets themselves, students of Norway's political system.

The message he wanted to make was that he was in control, he could make the government scared and force them to change their ways. A form of revolution, held on the shoulders of one man.

By deeming him 'sane' the court has recognised his political message and deemed him responsable for it. They've also levied a maximum sentence on him for the concequences of his actions, taking into account his motivations. While it may seem that roughly 3 months per kill is an injustice, 21 years is norway's maximum jail term available. Plus, there are provisions to allow them to extend the term indefinately should he be a danger to society.

By recognising his motivation in such a way and deeming him responsable, he has literally no chance of leaving prison, since it is abundantly clear that he'll kill again to make a political statement. As such, he is and always will be a danger to society in Norway.

This is also a message from the Norway judicial system that they'll come down fairly on anyone else who seeks to make such statements, speaking your views is ok, but killing people for your views? Nope.

I can only give respect to the conclusion that has been reached, I hope that the victims and their families can have some peace now.