Baneheia case
Encyclopedia
The Baneheia case was a notorious double child murder
that took place in Baneheia
in the city of Kristiansand
, Norway
, on May 19, 2000. The victims, Lena Sløgedal Paulsen (aged 10) and Stine Sofie Sørstrønen (aged 8), were rape
d and killed. Viggo Kristiansen and Jan Helge Andersen were convicted in 2002 for the crimes. Viggo Kristiansen was convicted of both murders and of raping both girls, and sentenced to 21 years in prison (containment, see below). Jan Helge Andersen was convicted of the murder of Sørstrønen, but acquitted of the murder of Paulsen. He was also convicted of raping both girls, and sentenced to 19 years in prison.
According to the verdict, Viggo Kristiansen was the leading force behind the crime. The court established that Kristiansen had an IQ of 83, that he "is to be considered dangerous", has "paedophile tendencies", "small or no possibility of improvement" and that it is "a reasonable danger that he might again commit violent acts and sexual abuse". He was not given an ordinary prison sentence, but rather sentenced to containment (the Norwegian legal term is forvaring), a form of special protective custody which means he may be held in prison indefinitely and is subject to release only at the discretion of a judge after his sentence is served. Containment is roughly comparable to a life sentence in many other European countries. Kristiansen is serving his sentence at Ila Prison, while Andersen is serving his sentence at Skien Prison.
Jan Helge Andersen confessed during the trial that he was taking part in the crime. Andersen also pointed out Kristiansen as the leading force.
Kristiansen, however, denied any involvement. No technical evidence has ever been presented against Kristiansen, and the murder weapon has never been found.
In 2008, Kristiansen filed a motion to re-open his case. The process involved DNA-testing of original biological samples stored at Santiago de Compostela-institute in Spain, and the Forensic institute in Norway. Material that had been reported dispatched by norwegian authorities. The first samples gave a positive DNA-profile from Jan Helge Andersen, but no match from Kristiansen. The second samples gave no match from either suspects.
In 2010, the motion was denied by the authorities, stating that the case was not sufficient for re-opening.
The Baneheia case received massive media attention in the early years of the 21st century.
Child murder
The murder of children is considered an abhorrent crime in much of the world; they are perceived within their communities and the state at large as being vulnerable, and therefore especially susceptible to abduction and murder. The protection of children from abuse and possible death often involves...
that took place in Baneheia
Baneheia
Baneheia is an area in Kristiansand in Norway, mostly known at the national level from the Baneheia case, as the scene of a notorious murder of two girls aged 8 and 10 that took place in 2000. The area is a local recreational area with lakes and forest...
in the city of Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, on May 19, 2000. The victims, Lena Sløgedal Paulsen (aged 10) and Stine Sofie Sørstrønen (aged 8), were rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d and killed. Viggo Kristiansen and Jan Helge Andersen were convicted in 2002 for the crimes. Viggo Kristiansen was convicted of both murders and of raping both girls, and sentenced to 21 years in prison (containment, see below). Jan Helge Andersen was convicted of the murder of Sørstrønen, but acquitted of the murder of Paulsen. He was also convicted of raping both girls, and sentenced to 19 years in prison.
According to the verdict, Viggo Kristiansen was the leading force behind the crime. The court established that Kristiansen had an IQ of 83, that he "is to be considered dangerous", has "paedophile tendencies", "small or no possibility of improvement" and that it is "a reasonable danger that he might again commit violent acts and sexual abuse". He was not given an ordinary prison sentence, but rather sentenced to containment (the Norwegian legal term is forvaring), a form of special protective custody which means he may be held in prison indefinitely and is subject to release only at the discretion of a judge after his sentence is served. Containment is roughly comparable to a life sentence in many other European countries. Kristiansen is serving his sentence at Ila Prison, while Andersen is serving his sentence at Skien Prison.
Jan Helge Andersen confessed during the trial that he was taking part in the crime. Andersen also pointed out Kristiansen as the leading force.
Kristiansen, however, denied any involvement. No technical evidence has ever been presented against Kristiansen, and the murder weapon has never been found.
In 2008, Kristiansen filed a motion to re-open his case. The process involved DNA-testing of original biological samples stored at Santiago de Compostela-institute in Spain, and the Forensic institute in Norway. Material that had been reported dispatched by norwegian authorities. The first samples gave a positive DNA-profile from Jan Helge Andersen, but no match from Kristiansen. The second samples gave no match from either suspects.
In 2010, the motion was denied by the authorities, stating that the case was not sufficient for re-opening.
The Baneheia case received massive media attention in the early years of the 21st century.