November 8th, 2009

Stop Violence!

Stop Violence is a case in how anyone, at any place and time, can be exposed to unprovoked and extreme violence that within seconds can turn your life around. This site will function as a resource for those in a similar situation, enabling them to better understand what to expect if exposed to violence - a growing problem in our society. Read the quick facts, the introduction and have a look at the photos. Also read the report by NHH's top student organ with comments, followed by the first sentence with comments! Then read the page about me, to have a good information level to assess yourself what happened that night September 7th, 2008.

Quick Facts
Extreme Case of Blind Group Violence at NHH

General– General and legal facts

Anyone can become a victim of blind violence, at any place.
If charges are filed, your only involvement will be as a witness in future trials
You will be asked by the police to make a financial claim, which has to be rigiously documented.
Documentation is important, because that is basically what will constitute your compensation
If you are a student, your time is worth nothing due to lack of salary.
Without salary, you cannot document loss of income - so spending a day in court will not be compensated
Even with salary, if you go to the doctor to stitch up a cut - you will not be entitled to compensation for those lost hours of your time
As a student, you have no legal right for compensation if you have to wait 2 hours to get a simple wound check
As a witness, you take no part in preparations for the trail or the decision to appeal
If a conviction is appealed, you will have to expect at least a year to have your expenses reimbursed
It usually takes about 6 months before first trial initiates, and yet another 6 months if appealed
The defendant is legally protected when lying in court, even though he incriminates others in what might be a false testimony
The court can totally ignore a documented claim with receipts, without providing any reason what-so-ever, and with no chance of appeal
The court's main interest is not in the individuals innocence, but to establish if a person is guilty of breaking norwegian law - and to find an appropriate sentence
The court is there to serve public interest, to keep criminals from repeatedly violating norwegian law
The court accept that individuals will remain victims both to the violence and financial losses, by enforcing strict documentation requirements and by not acknowledging non-economic losses - putting the resposibility on the individual to prove, beyond doubt, every actual incured loss
A police service low on resources, combined with a legal system putting high demands on documented evidence - give strong protection to the criminals, especially in cases where the defendant can lie about what happened
A legal system that can be overruled by civil judges are of little to no value, when they can totally ignore the law
After two appeals, you can have 100% support from professional judges - but that will be of no value if you have 0% support from civil judges

Alcohol– Consumption and false testimony

The defendant can lie in court and incriminate others while doing so, fully protected legally
Witnesses, on the other hand, risk up to 5 years prison if not the truth and anything but the truth is presented in court
As such, the defendant is practically encouraged to lie - while the witnesses, me included, have to be very careful not to stay anything that can be proven false
Henrik explained in court that he stopped drinking around 10-11-12 pm
Fact is that everyone involved drank beer the whole night, as can be seen in this ablum
Image 3 clearly shows the defendant holding a beer at 04:27am, totally discrediting himself by telling something totally different to the court
At direksjonsmusikken.com it is said about the defendant: "Direksjonsmusikken's Turbo-drinker puts his distinctive character on all the parties he is present, and he never goes home."
Yet, in his statement, at the party of them all: Reversible Meldingnight, defendant says that he stopped drinking around 10-11-12.
This picture series shows the excessive drinking culture that well describes the "Reversibel Sveiseaften"-party

Violence– The kick

Harald Hornes Øyen is instructed by a G4S Security Guard to break up the party at around 05:30, since the building will soon be closed
Since Harald have been a commissioned officer in military, you might wonder if he enjoys having a position that enables him to exercise authoritative power, based on his background and behavior at the night in question
Harald mobilize his friends, and use them as backup as he informs me my presence is no longer wanted
Perfectly aware of the absolute power they have over their own room, I calmly walk the 3 meters distance to the hallway
Still, curious as I am by nature, I ask in a polite manner what wrongdoing I have done to deserve such a hostile attitude
As I realize that there is nothing "wrong", I do my best to ease the atmospheric tension
It appears that Glenn Kvisler is aware of his size and therefore employs the presence of his four friends to serve as protection in his unfounded assault against me
Henrik Johan Molnes, becomes an accomplice at this point by joining Kvisler in the assault, as he use the opportunity of me lying on the floor to kick me in the face
Having realized the severity of what just happened - I was simply sent out, not assisted to medical attention of any kind
I am lucky to get away with only an ugly cut, after such a kick, since probability of brain damage and entering a state of vegetable is very high

Health– 5 stitches, infection and psoriasis

The kick resulted in a serious cut, next to my eye, which needed 5 stitches
2 stitches is the requirement for being guilty in damaging another persons body (legemsbeskadigelse)
5 stitches can be punished with up to 3 years according to § 229.
Cut resulting from kick and human bite will most certainly result in an infection due to high bacterial levels
An infection need treatments with high levels of antibiotica for a prolonged period, and daily monitoring by medical personnel if risk of going blind
Every visit cost around 200 NOK
Psoriasis emerged after the traumatizing and psychological effects of the violent episode, which is known to be a common cause of psoriasis when the genetical disposition is present.
This is confirmed by a skin specialist in his diagnosis
I was unable to go on vacation summer 2009, due to inability to expose my scar to sun during the first year
More than one year later, my scar is highly visible and still red - something I'll have to live with for the rest of my life

Demand– Compensation and media attention

High probability of failure to complete master degree due to limited funds
Being self-financed, I could only afford to stay in Bergen for 2 semesters, so I would have to complete master in half the time
The violent cut, and consequent meetings, emails, police visits, countless medical visits, etc. all reduced my possibility to complete my master in two semester with a decent average
The financial crisis further reduced possibility, increasing the demand for higher average
Risk of failing to complete master was accounted for, and difference in salary between bachelor and master was demanded
I had learned in a course of negotiation at NHH about the importance of an initial high demand, which was unproblematic for me when estimating a lifetime of bachelor salary versus master salary
Expected compensation will according to current practice, result in about 15.000 NOK, a ridiculously low amount considering all the work there is in documenting all incured expenses
In the Compensation Committee for Victims of Violence's case ENV-2005-1985 was an applicant after a brutal assault incurred several fractions in the face and ribs, in addition to dental injuries. Despite the severe damages, the Compensation Committee found that an appropriate compensation would be 15 000 NOK.
While compensation should be above the lower range due to the cosmetic consequences of the damage I incurred, my expected compensation would still be less than 15.000 NOK
I reasoned that the risk of presenting a high demand was nonresistant due to the low expected compensation levels
Since I was expecting the whole case to be dismissed by the police, and certainly not expecting the case going to court due to the confession, I was unaware of the publicity such a demand could generate
Tabloid coverage of the story, presented the demand out of context - unable to convey the complex background and assumptions behind the demand
Most people will start to misunderstand when complexity increases, especially if only source of information is through the media. Fueled by tabloid misrepresentation of something shown out of context, most people actually get upset by the possibility that their tax-money being used to pay the demand.
The demand is limited to how much financial assets the defendant have and the ruling of the court, so in that sense is my demand is more symbolic - not expected and certainly not realistic.
While still including the high probability of failing to get a master degree, I would have adjusted the demand to more realistic levels if I had suspected the demand to reach the public - precisely because numerous misunderstandings would arise
Since civil judges ignored the law, and let Henrik go home free of charge - compensation was limited to expenses I could document at that time. My total expenses are much higher, which I will not get covered - since second court instance choose to review question of guilt in the appeal, and to ignore changes of an appropriate compensation if found guilty

Police– Limited resources and a confession

After calling the police, I was informed that it would help a lot of I could generate a list of people involved and possible witnesses
I facilitated the job for the police, which I know have limited resources, by providing a list of people involved in the violence and possible witnesses
My only hope of a fair and balanced trial faded was broken, when the police resorted to only interview those involved - and thereby only calling them to witness in court
Since the cover-up story takes place inside Rum where the nachspiel took place, there would probably be people admitting to the violent event taking place outside when interviewed by the police - despite their personal relationship to the defendant and others involved
The police creating a very skewed presentation of what actually happened, making the situation biased for the judges set to make a neutral ruling when the police basically support the defendant when only him and his friends are there to tell the story in addition to me
The police is happy with the confession, and choose to go forward with the case knowing that Henrik clearly have broken the law expecting full support by professional judges
Limited resources cause the police to gamble on the support by civil judges as well without further investigation, hoping that the professional judges will influence them into voting on the basis of the law
The police managed to double-book the prosecutor that was supposed to lead the case in the appeal, so that a new attorney had less than a week to update himself
The prosecutor undermined their case when he expressed in court that he did not believe we would see Henrik in the legal system again, or that he would even be issued a fine

Media– Tabloids and PFU

BA, the biggest tabloid newspaper in Bergen, were the only newspaper paying attention to the violence taking place at NHH as seen in this article
Since the first article was serious and of high standard, I didn't hesitate answering questions after the trial
When I found myself on the frontpage of BA, I was reminded of the tabloid nature of BA
BA is without competition the most tabloid newspaper in Norway, specialized in blowing stories out of their proportions and engaging in creative story-telling to maximize newspaper sales
NHH's student paper made a serious mocking back page, totally alienating themselves from NHH students who condemn such attacks on a fellow student
While the backpage typically is funny, nobody has succeeded in finding any type of humor - expect maybe those who find extreme mocking amusing
The editor, Andreas Landsverk Farberg, even alienated himself from many journalists by letting that back page go to print
Not surprisingly, Andreas Landsverk Farberg only held his position as editor for one period
Pressens Faglige Utvalg (PFU - Media's own committee) discredited themselves by not condemning a clearly illegal conduct
Editor Farberg clearly violated §247 in criminal code that can be punished with up to two years prison if a persons honor is violated in a published paper

Stop Violence

A case