Norway mass shooter Anders Breivik declared 'sane'

Scanpix Norway / Reuters

Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik, the man accused of a killing spree and bomb attack in Oslo.

Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik was sane when he killed 77 people last summer in attacks he saw as punishing "traitors" who favored immigration, a psychiatric team said on Tuesday, in a report contradicting an earlier one that found him psychotic.

Breivik himself has insisted he is mentally stable and demanded that the attacks - the most violent in Norway since World War Two - be judged as a political act rather than the work of a deranged mind.


"The mental health experts' main conclusion is that defendant Anders Behring Breivik is considered not to have been psychotic at the time of the actions on July 22, 2011," Oslo District Court said in a statement.

A report completed in November found Breivik to be a psychotic who also suffered from paranoid schizophrenia during and after the July 22 attacks.

A final ruling on Breivik's mental condition will be made by a five-judge panel near the end of his trial. The latest report could give the judges grounds to sentence Breivik to prison if found guilty.

His trial on terror and murder charges is due to start next week and is expected to last 10 weeks.

Breivik, 33, has admitted detonating a bomb that killed eight people at government headquarters in Oslo, then massacring 69 people with gunfire at a Labor Party summer camp. Most of the summer camp victims were teenagers.

In a preliminary court hearing Breivik denied criminal guilt and suggested his actions were part of a war to save European culture.

If Breivik is found guilty and the judges side with the latest psychiatric report, he could face 21 years in prison with the potential for indefinite extensions to prevent him from repeating his crimes.

If he is eventually ruled psychotic, Breivik would likely face an indefinite period of psychiatric care in a locked facility.

Breivik's defense team has said its primary goal at the trial would be to prove their client sane.

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Sane as they come but sick as they ever existed. Besides all the circus around trayvon, race etc. We breed sick freaks like this in ours and other countries. Too bad a severe example will not be made of him out in Norway. He ll probably have a spa near his cell smh.

  • 2 votes
Reply#2 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 8:22 AM EDT

I think the planet is becoming sick of the "insanity" plea or blaming killings on junk food or prozac to get every killer off the hook. There is a vast difference between totally sick and a disgrace to humanity and insane. His smiling in the photo made me ill.

  • 3 votes
#2.1 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 8:26 AM EDT
Reply

What is the difference if somebody says he is sane or not? Norway does not have the death penalty (tell that to the 77 dead kids). Sane or not, the most that will happen to him is free housing, free food and free medical care for the rest of his life and their taxpayers will be sentenced to pay for it. Somehow that makes Norway more civilized (tell that to the 77 dead kids).

  • 2 votes
Reply#3 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 8:24 AM EDT

This is why I don't think you should have an "insanity" defense......your either guilty of the crime or not. Now the insanity part can be taking into context in the punishment phase.

  • 2 votes
#3.1 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 10:40 AM EDT

Gtouch, Norway doesnt have a death penalty. Euro-prison is like disney as compared to American. Most importantly though, This SoB *WANTS* to be found sane so he can turn the murders into a political statement. If he's found to be insane the murders are an act of a crazy person, and while just as horrid, have no political "value". Why anyone would stand for him being allowed to be called sane is beyond me. Just put him in the wrong bus after the trial :)

    #3.2 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 12:39 PM EDT
    Reply

    In a strange turn of events all politicians are declared insane!

    • 1 vote
    Reply#4 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 8:28 AM EDT

    'If Breivik is found guilty and the judges side with the latest psychiatric report, he could face 21 years in prison with the potential for indefinite extensions to prevent him from repeating his crimes.'

    With 'potential for indefinite extensions'? So if he ONLY did 21 years, he's serving 99 days/person he killed.. Yikes! I'm sure they'll keep extending his stay though.. Just not sure why they didn't just go 'life sentence' right off the bat.

    • 2 votes
    Reply#5 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 8:39 AM EDT

    21 years is the maximum sentence in Norway.

    • 1 vote
    #5.1 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 8:43 AM EDT

    The maximum sentence in Norway is 21 years. That's why they stated it as they did. Norway focuses strongly on rehabilitation.

      #5.2 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 8:46 AM EDT

      Yea, which is why we know they'll keep extending his stay. But when there are 77 dead? I think I'd bend the rules a bit -_- No 'accidental' prison fight?

        #5.3 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 8:53 AM EDT

        Who actually believes or would trust their governments assessment that a killer of 77 people could be rehabilitated?

        • 2 votes
        #5.4 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:02 AM EDT

        Members of the left who think the world can be sunshine, rainbows and lollipops for everyone.

        • 3 votes
        #5.5 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:36 AM EDT

        Maybe not for everyone, but let's not lose sight of the fact that the world does also contain rainbows, etc. There is definitely evil in the world, but there is also good and we would be in error to forget that, and become only an armed camp.

        • 2 votes
        #5.6 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:44 AM EDT

        I'm quite far to the left politically and have never thought the world was rainbows and lollipops. Find another strawman to tackle, please. (Since the killer was on the political right and murdered a bunch of lefties, I'll take your comment as a badly constructed example of misdirection.) Oh, and rehabilitated or not, Breivik should never see the outside of a jail cell.

        • 2 votes
        #5.7 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 10:57 AM EDT

        The question was who believes this guy can be rehabilitated.

        If you can't deal with the fact that the left is against capital punishment and some would think he could be rehabilitated remove yourself from politics.

          #5.8 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 11:10 AM EDT

          I guess that's all you've got, considering the killer in this story was a rightwing lunatic shooting up a liberal camp full of kids. If you can't deal with the fact that "some" on the right don't think that shooting up their political opponents is desirable, then remove yourself from politics (whatever the hell that means).

            #5.9 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 11:20 AM EDT

            No, all you have are assumptions. Using your hate for a political party to assume what or who I am, or what I agree or don't agree with is just a lack of emotional control.

            If you have a question ask me, politics are much easier to talk about when you can keep your emotions under control.

              #5.10 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 11:39 AM EDT
              Reply

              Psht, Breivik is over-rated. Varg Vikernes is where it's at.

                Reply#6 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 8:39 AM EDT

                Bitchplease. Scandinavian metal is vastly overrated. They're still milking their Viking roots for all they're worth in that department; they're all about the image and their music quite frankly is sub-par.

                I'll take Dreamtheater, Tool, and A7X over any of them.

                  #6.1 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 10:23 AM EDT

                  Troll more please.

                    #6.2 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 2:37 PM EDT
                    Reply

                    In Norway this judgement only determines if he will have a North or West facing room for his internment.

                    • 1 vote
                    Reply#7 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 8:54 AM EDT

                    Anybody that murders even one person is insane. You have to be insane to murder.

                    • 4 votes
                    Reply#8 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 8:56 AM EDT

                    I understand the sentiment, however it's not true.

                    • 3 votes
                    #8.1 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:38 AM EDT
                    Reply

                    We have grown accepting of terrorist bombing thousands of innocent civilians and yet if a white man acts violently all of a sudden it is defined as a hate crime or insanity. The anger is growing worldwide against Muslims. I do not condone hatred against Muslims but I understand it as a backlash response for all the attacks suffered by westerners for the last twenty years. Quite frankly I am surprised we haven't seen more of this kind of behavior.

                    • 1 vote
                    Reply#9 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 8:58 AM EDT

                    You know, not every country in the war follows our laws and has huge prisons full of its citizens. They happen to have much lower rates of offense and repeat offenders, and just because they approach crime and criminals differently than we do in the US doesn't mean we are right and they are wrong. Seems to me the system works pretty well for this type of thing there and instead of criticizing it because it is different and some of us might handle it differently I would say they must be doing something right and it is their business to do as they wish with him.

                    Not every country is full of citizens who wish everyone had guns, either, so we can't really project our own ideas onto theirs and have a clue what they would say or do.

                    • 1 vote
                    Reply#10 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 8:59 AM EDT

                    It's also much easier to manage a countries population that is half of New York city alone.

                    • 3 votes
                    #10.1 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 10:45 AM EDT
                    Reply

                    The thing is: Nobody should ever get away with murder just because they're insane, because like I said..you HAVE to be insane to commit the act of murdering someone. No sane person is going to ever do such a thing.

                    • 2 votes
                    Reply#11 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:01 AM EDT

                    Semantics. Sane by legal definition is not being aware you are doing something wrong, I believe. So if you shoot the pizza delivery guy because you want his money, we figure you are bad and belong in prison, but if you shoot him because you honestly think you are shooting Osama Bin Laden because he is coming to murder your family, people figure you belong in a nut house more than a prison. Now the issue for me is that they should probably stay in the nut house, but people always want to say that they are "cured" and can be released.

                      #11.1 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 10:59 AM EDT
                      Reply

                      Are you kidding me? Death Penalty. Death Penalty. There should be no other options for this man that should allow him to draw breath another day after trial and sentencing. If you were able to ask the 77 lost souls to this man, I am sure they would responde to let him die the same way they did, or at least some kind of ending to his life. This makes me sick to the stomach to think we allow people like this to have a second chance, again, are you kidding me?

                      • 2 votes
                      Reply#12 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:23 AM EDT

                      So why isn't this politically and religiously motivated shooting spree being deemed as "terrorism"? If this was a Muslim person you bet it would be. The double standard is getting old and is grossly unfair. He had a religious extremist Christian agenda and this is not a terrorist act? And killing children on top o fit all. Unbelievable....

                      • 5 votes
                      Reply#13 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:28 AM EDT

                      Lori...

                      BAM... Nail on the head!

                        #13.1 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:49 AM EDT

                        He is being charged with terrorism.

                        Oslo - Norwegian prosecutors on Wednesday formally indicted Anders Behring
                        Breivik on terror charges, more than seven months after he confessed to attacks
                        that killed 77 people in a bombing and shooting rampage.

                        • 5 votes
                        #13.2 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 10:08 AM EDT

                        Lori... this is directly from the article:

                        His trial on terror and murder charges is due to start next week and is expected to last 10 weeks.

                        I can only surmise reading comprehension isn't your strongest ability. It pales in comparison to your hyperbole.

                        • 1 vote
                        #13.3 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 10:19 AM EDT

                        I think what Lori is getting at is that people on these forums will insist that he is insane, and that this wasn't a terrorist act.

                        I remember the forums right after these shootings, where everyone without a brain insisted that this guy was a Muslim. When it became apparent that he wasn't, most insisted that he was insane. A few called him a hero...

                          #13.4 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 11:11 AM EDT

                          Lori, he is being charged as a terrorist but WHERE do you see any mention of extreme Christian agenda? I am not seeing that at all.

                          • 3 votes
                          #13.5 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 1:33 PM EDT
                          Reply

                          Interesting....... Makes me curious about the meaning of "sane"......

                          1.
                          free from mental derangement; having a sound, healthy mind: a sane person.

                          2.
                          having or showing reason, sound judgment, or good sense: sane advice.

                          3.
                          sound; healthy.

                          • 2 votes
                          Reply#14 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:48 AM EDT

                          In his manifesto Breivik described his first experiments with explosives, and details a...... anti-Muslim and anti-Marxist message of his 1500-page manifesto

                          1500 page manifesto....

                          Take away the zeros.

                          1 and 5 = 6

                          Just sayin'

                            Reply#15 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 10:10 AM EDT

                            "

                            1500 page manifesto....

                            Take away the zeros.

                            1 and 5 = 6

                            Just sayin'"

                            Let me fix that for you

                            "just saying" NOTHING worth .02

                            • 1 vote
                            #15.1 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 10:25 AM EDT

                            Actually it was priceless. If I had written that and noticed that 1 and 5, knowing that 6 represents behavior or philosophy in opposition to divine will I would have thrown that manifesto in the trash.

                            Just like the Mormon temple in Salt Lake City has 6 spires. Divine inspiration warning people that their philosophies contain no divine wisdom and are very likely the product of un-repented sin. In Joseph Smith's case polygamy. There are six pillars of faith in Islam. Six points in a Jewish star. Six points in a blue medical emblem as people involved in sin generally tend to take more unsafe physical risks and get judged with injuries and medical conditions for serious transgressions/

                            • 1 vote
                            #15.2 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 12:25 PM EDT
                            Reply

                            Can he receive 21 years for each murder or just one? I guess it's like too many other country there. I just feel that this person and I use that term loosely should never be allowed to walk free again. Yes there many different degrees of sanity and he has to be insane some to have done this. Keep this thing locked up or he WILL kill again.

                            • 1 vote
                            Reply#16 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 10:14 AM EDT

                            Fascinating case from a mental health perspective. If not psychotic then delusional? If not delusional an axis II diagnosis of "antisocial personality disorder", psychopathic personality? I have worked with a few of these and they are nearly obsessive and rigid in their thinking with a paranoia yet not psychotic so the court has it's work cut out.

                              Reply#17 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 10:16 AM EDT

                              The way it should be is he is sentenced to 21 years for each murder, that means he would be locked up for 1617 years.....works for me!! I forgot to mention that he can be up for parole after serving only half of it.

                              • 1 vote
                              Reply#18 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 10:45 AM EDT

                              This guy shot 69 people. 69. If that wasn't horrific, it's still just a lot of work one person at a time. Bam, one terrified, running person, bam two terrified running people, bam three, bam four,.......bam 20..........bam 35.......bam 50, and so on to frigging 69, one at at time with a gun. This guy is beyond sick.

                                Reply#19 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 11:06 AM EDT

                                Lord, please tell me someone who could do this isn't "sane".

                                Does anyone really want to live a a world where mass muder is sanity?

                                • 1 vote
                                Reply#20 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 11:08 AM EDT

                                He knew he was killing people and he knew murder was against the law. Sane.

                                  #20.1 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 11:13 AM EDT

                                  Exactly. To be considered insane, it must be proven that you did not know that your actions were considered wrong.

                                    #20.2 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 11:28 AM EDT
                                    Reply

                                    He wanted to eliminate left wing ideas from society, even if it meant the death of people who think differently than him? No less sane than about 30% of the American population.

                                      Reply#21 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 11:24 AM EDT

                                      Fred, so you believe that 30% of the American population wants those who think differently should die? Just who represents that 30%?

                                        #21.1 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 1:38 PM EDT
                                        Reply

                                        Mr. Lumbergh is correct. The legal definition of sanity is not the same as the medical or psychiatric definition. Nevertheless there will be no such thing as a rational explanation and no such thing as justice for the people he terrorized, grievously injured and murdered.

                                        • 1 vote
                                        Reply#22 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 11:26 AM EDT

                                        Ok for some reason this forum turned into a talk about US gun laws and rights. Can we stick to the subject PLEASE. I think its pretty horrible that this man faces only 21 years in prison for killing 77 people. That makes no sense.

                                        LOL what a crazy world we live in. Where people can so easily lose focus of important topics and impliment their own BS issues.. You people make me laugh.

                                          Reply#23 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 11:46 AM EDT

                                          Strange the trial is expected to take 10 weeks after he has already confessed to the whole thing and given the reasons why he did it. Isn't that the definition of an open and shut case?

                                          • 2 votes
                                          Reply#24 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 11:49 AM EDT

                                          I agree that in one stretch of the imagination he isn't insane, he's ideological. The shooter is a National Socialist (Nazi).

                                          His National Socialist ideology preaches that the removal of inferior humans is acceptable, even commendable. That's typical Socialism once it fully matures in a person's mind, or in a society once it's been brainwashed (examples are Nazi Germany and the Marxist United Soviet Socialist Republic...USSR...Russia). Mass executions of political opponents eventually takes place in Socialist countries once they have absolute, Roman-style control over government. Over 100 million people have been executed by Socialist governments since the 1930s. It's real. It's historical fact, and the trend.

                                          Socialists don't gain power by promising mass executions. They progressively gain control over countries by promising "change" (Hitler's campaign theme), ideologically controlling the mainstream media and school systems through unions, and creating False Flags: claiming or fabricating false incidents of violence against themselves so they can call for violence against opponents. As Socialists gain power freedoms begin to disappear until a dictatorship is solidified, claiming to represent the "will of the people". Socialist dictators frequently say they ask "the people" what they want, then "campaign relentlessly as a voice of the people's will". By "coincidence" the "people's will" just happens to fall in line with what the Socialist government wants, and is supported by an obedient mainstream media.

                                          • 2 votes
                                          Reply#25 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 12:12 PM EDT

                                          It is not just socialists who use these strategies you have defined to deceive and manipulate populations. In addition, conditions have to be ripe for people to gravitate to extremest political positions. People have to feel threatened in order to motivate them to a violent political system. Whether the threat is real or not is immaterial. Sometimes the threat is real sometime it is fabricated. It still sets up a political environment that is open to more aggressive tactics of controlling or killing populations.

                                          • 1 vote
                                          #25.1 - Wed Apr 18, 2012 4:52 AM EDT
                                          Reply

                                          50-life in prison.

                                          The European justice system is focused on prevention and rehabilitation rather than punishment after the crime has been done. Since the prevention phase failed it's rehabilitation, with punishment.

                                          • 1 vote
                                          Reply#26 - Tue Apr 10, 2012 12:13 PM EDT
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