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So, today Anders Breivick was declared sane(!?) and sentenced to a minimum of 21 years in prison.

From the guardian.co.uk


Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian far-right extremist, has been sentenced to at least 21 years in prison after a court declared he was sane throughout his murderous rampage last year that killed 77 people and wounded 242.
The Oslo district court declared its verdict that the 33-year-old was not psychotic while carrying out the twin attacks, including the shooting of dozens of teenagers attending a political camp.
The court's decision will have delighted Breivik, who had hoped to avoid what he called the "humiliation" of being dismissed as a madman.
The mass killer had desperately hoped the court would find him criminally culpable for the killings, claiming they were "cruel and necessary" to protect Norway from becoming overrun by Muslims.
After two months of deliberations, the five-judge panel said they considered the perpetrator of last year's gun and bomb attacks, the worst in the country's history, mentally fit enough to be held criminally responsible for the attacks.
As the verdict was delivered to a packed, hushed courtroom, Breivik, dressed in a black suit, white shirt and grey tie, smirked.
Among the 40 or so relatives and survivors in attendance, some nodded silently as the panel of judges shared their unanimous verdict that Breivik was sane during the attacks. Many of those most directly affected by the attacks had wanted Breivik judged of sound mind and sent to prison.
During the hour after delivering the verdict, Breivik stared impassively at the panel of judges, blushing only when details of his fictional Knights Templar organisation were read out. The morning session has been spent largely describing Breivik's meticulous preparations for last year's twin attacks and how he became obsessed with far-right ideology and computer games.
As details were read out of the injuries sustained by each of the 77 who died and the 242 wounded , Breivik stared across the room. The force of his 950kg Oslo bomb was soon starkly evident to the courtroom, as a number of victims suffered amputations and spent lengthy periods in a coma.
Meanwhile, the court heard fresh details of the killings on Utøya. Breivik was described as acting "frantic" upon arriving on the island dressed as a police officer. At the time, 536 people had gathered on Utøya for the Labour party's annual summer camp.
During a killing spree lasting over an hour, Breivik fired 121 shots with his pistol and 136 with a semi-automatic rifle. Many of the victims were executed with close-range shots to the head. One 26-year-old woman was shot six times, including a fatal shot to her head.
Many young victims hyperventilated as they tried to flee the gunman. Earlier it had rained and many stumbled and fell on slippery slopes as they ran down to the water's edges in an attempt to escape.
Emotional problems have been recorded among those who managed to survive and a number of teenagers remain unable to study and are on sick leave, the court heard.
Breivik is almost certain to end his life in prison. Although Norway has a maximum prison sentence of 21 years, Breivik could be sentenced to "preventive detention", which can be extended for as long as an inmate is considered dangerous to society.
The verdict of the most high-profile criminal trial in Norway since Nazi collaborators were prosecuted following the second world war is certain to provoke a strong response.
Most Norwegians, including the victims' families, had wanted Breivik to be found sane so he could be held accountable for what they view as a political crime.
The decision also means there will be no appeal, Breveik's lawyer, Geir Lippestad, having promised the gunman will not contest a jail sentence.
Breivik has readily admitted to carrying out the twin attacks that shocked the famously peaceful country on 22 July 2011.
After setting off a car bomb outside government headquarters in Oslo, Breivik went on a shooting rampage on Utøya.
Eight people died in the bombing and 69 – 34 of them aged between 14 and 17 – were killed in an attack that lasted over an hour.
The gunman, who has shown no remorse throughout his 10-week trial, has described how he reloaded his semi-automatic rifle while victims sat waiting for him to kill them.
The decision overrides the findings of a report by court-appointed psychiatrists submitted before the start of the trial, which claimed Breivik suffered from paranoid schizophrenia.
That claim, if accepted by the court, would have relieved Breivik of his legal responsibility for the crime and ensured his detention in a specially built psychiatric unit inside Ila prison, just outside Oslo.
Breivik will, however, still end up in the same jail, where he has been held in isolation for most of the time since his arrest.
It is understood he could challenge a "preventive detention" sentence every five years.
One of the reasons Breivik's attacks were presented in such graphic detail during the trial was so that the horror of Oslo and Utøya would be well-documented for the day Breivik asks to be released.

I personally think he should be executed. Or at the very very least he should never leave prison.

21 years is not enough for him.

That's exactly how I feel. At the very least he should have received 77 consecutive life sentences.

Or maybe being declared insane would have been better? That was his greatest fear after all.....

Gotta edit in the title he is 'sane' instead of 'same.' -- done Reds8n

But I think the country is trying to prove that a mass murder after 21 years of coddling will become a fully integrated member of society once more.

I wouldn't be surprised if he is allowed to leave after such a time, then goes back and does the same horrendous things again. Such radicals rarely leave their world view behind so easily.

The safest thing to do is keep him locked away where he can do minimal harm.

 sarpedons-right-hand wrote:
So, today Anders Breivick was declared sane(!?) and sentenced to a minimum of 21 years in prison.

From the guardian.co.uk


Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian far-right extremist, has been sentenced to at least 21 years in prison after a court declared he was sane throughout his murderous rampage last year that killed 77 people and wounded 242.
The Oslo district court declared its verdict that the 33-year-old was not psychotic while carrying out the twin attacks, including the shooting of dozens of teenagers attending a political camp.
The court's decision will have delighted Breivik, who had hoped to avoid what he called the "humiliation" of being dismissed as a madman.
The mass killer had desperately hoped the court would find him criminally culpable for the killings, claiming they were "cruel and necessary" to protect Norway from becoming overrun by Muslims.
After two months of deliberations, the five-judge panel said they considered the perpetrator of last year's gun and bomb attacks, the worst in the country's history, mentally fit enough to be held criminally responsible for the attacks.
As the verdict was delivered to a packed, hushed courtroom, Breivik, dressed in a black suit, white shirt and grey tie, smirked.
Among the 40 or so relatives and survivors in attendance, some nodded silently as the panel of judges shared their unanimous verdict that Breivik was sane during the attacks. Many of those most directly affected by the attacks had wanted Breivik judged of sound mind and sent to prison.
During the hour after delivering the verdict, Breivik stared impassively at the panel of judges, blushing only when details of his fictional Knights Templar organisation were read out. The morning session has been spent largely describing Breivik's meticulous preparations for last year's twin attacks and how he became obsessed with far-right ideology and computer games.
As details were read out of the injuries sustained by each of the 77 who died and the 242 wounded , Breivik stared across the room. The force of his 950kg Oslo bomb was soon starkly evident to the courtroom, as a number of victims suffered amputations and spent lengthy periods in a coma.
Meanwhile, the court heard fresh details of the killings on Utøya. Breivik was described as acting "frantic" upon arriving on the island dressed as a police officer. At the time, 536 people had gathered on Utøya for the Labour party's annual summer camp.
During a killing spree lasting over an hour, Breivik fired 121 shots with his pistol and 136 with a semi-automatic rifle. Many of the victims were executed with close-range shots to the head. One 26-year-old woman was shot six times, including a fatal shot to her head.
Many young victims hyperventilated as they tried to flee the gunman. Earlier it had rained and many stumbled and fell on slippery slopes as they ran down to the water's edges in an attempt to escape.
Emotional problems have been recorded among those who managed to survive and a number of teenagers remain unable to study and are on sick leave, the court heard.
Breivik is almost certain to end his life in prison. Although Norway has a maximum prison sentence of 21 years, Breivik could be sentenced to "preventive detention", which can be extended for as long as an inmate is considered dangerous to society.
The verdict of the most high-profile criminal trial in Norway since Nazi collaborators were prosecuted following the second world war is certain to provoke a strong response.
Most Norwegians, including the victims' families, had wanted Breivik to be found sane so he could be held accountable for what they view as a political crime.
The decision also means there will be no appeal, Breveik's lawyer, Geir Lippestad, having promised the gunman will not contest a jail sentence.
Breivik has readily admitted to carrying out the twin attacks that shocked the famously peaceful country on 22 July 2011.
After setting off a car bomb outside government headquarters in Oslo, Breivik went on a shooting rampage on Utøya.
Eight people died in the bombing and 69 – 34 of them aged between 14 and 17 – were killed in an attack that lasted over an hour.
The gunman, who has shown no remorse throughout his 10-week trial, has described how he reloaded his semi-automatic rifle while victims sat waiting for him to kill them.
The decision overrides the findings of a report by court-appointed psychiatrists submitted before the start of the trial, which claimed Breivik suffered from paranoid schizophrenia.
That claim, if accepted by the court, would have relieved Breivik of his legal responsibility for the crime and ensured his detention in a specially built psychiatric unit inside Ila prison, just outside Oslo.
Breivik will, however, still end up in the same jail, where he has been held in isolation for most of the time since his arrest.
It is understood he could challenge a "preventive detention" sentence every five years.
One of the reasons Breivik's attacks were presented in such graphic detail during the trial was so that the horror of Oslo and Utøya would be well-documented for the day Breivik asks to be released.

Only 21 years? Thats crazy.

21 years for 77 people, 3 months-ish a person.

The fact that he may be released after this time is crazy.

What gets me is the last sentence. It boils down to roughly this: He may ask to be released..... That's not right surely? This prison sentence seems particularly laughable not just for the 77 murders, but also for the 242 people he injured. Including amputees and coma victims from the nearly 1 ton bomb he set off earlier in the day!!

He can ask to be released, and that prompts a review, but doesn't mean that release will be granted.

The article explicitly notes that the sentence can (and is likely to be) extended by consecutive five year periods for as long as he is judged still a danger to society, and states that "Breivik is almost certain to end his life in prison."

21 years is the max the sentencing allows, but, and this is important and in the article, they can increase his prison stay indefinitely using 'preventative detention', which is almost certain to happen.

 Mannahnin wrote:
He can ask to be released, and that prompts a review, but doesn't mean that release will be granted.

The article explicitly notes that the sentence can (and is likely to be) extended by consecutive five year periods for as long as he is judged still a danger to society, and states that "Breivik is almost certain to end his life in prison."

Yeah, that's what I read as well. He can still appeal though. I don't think he should be allowed to do even that.

 Mannahnin wrote:
The article explicitly notes that the sentence can (and is likely to be) extended by consecutive five year periods for as long as he is judged still a danger to society, and states that "Breivik is almost certain to end his life in prison."

It is still hard to judge how society will view Breivik in 21 years from now. If he actually makes an honest repentance for what he did, he could see release probably into his 60's or 70's, but I do agree that he probably will be jailed for the time span of his life.

Again, I wouldn't be surprised if he is released at some point, but also that he may recommit his crimes on another stage.

 WarOne wrote:

 Mannahnin wrote:
The article explicitly notes that the sentence can (and is likely to be) extended by consecutive five year periods for as long as he is judged still a danger to society, and states that "Breivik is almost certain to end his life in prison."

It is still hard to judge how society will view Breivik in 21 years from now.

You could say the same for Mark David Chapman who killed John Lennon 32 years ago and has been denied parole 7 times, the last just recently. It was even stated at the hearing that "The panel notes your good conduct, program achievements, educational accomplishments, positive presentation, remorse..." and still said no. His 18-20 year sentence has gotten him 32 years with no end in sight, so i don't see why a crime involving far more people, and even lacks the insanity angle, would just be forgotten after 21 years.

Tibbsy wrote:
Yeah, that's what I read as well. He can still appeal though. I don't think he should be allowed to do even that.

You should always have the right to ask appeal, there's nothing to say you'll be granted one.

 WarOne wrote:


It is still hard to judge how society will view Breivik in 21 years from now

Through bars or reinforced perspex IMO.

 reds8n wrote:

 WarOne wrote:


It is still hard to judge how society will view Breivik in 21 years from now

Through bars or reinforced perspex IMO.

I have to agree. He won't be leaving prison alive.

Still thought they should have classified him insane just to dilute his message as the ravings of a madman.

Hell I'd have trolled him. 'turn the cameras off, mr Breivek, we do know you are sane, but felt this was a better message for everyone concerned, cameras back on' Just in time to catch his rantings.

 Ahtman wrote:

 WarOne wrote:

 Mannahnin wrote:
The article explicitly notes that the sentence can (and is likely to be) extended by consecutive five year periods for as long as he is judged still a danger to society, and states that "Breivik is almost certain to end his life in prison."

It is still hard to judge how society will view Breivik in 21 years from now.

You could say the same for Mark David Chapman who killed John Lennon 32 years ago and has been denied parole 7 times, the last just recently. It was even stated at the hearing that "The panel notes your good conduct, program achievements, educational accomplishments, positive presentation, remorse..." and still said no. His 18-20 year sentence has gotten him 32 years with no end in sight, so i don't see why a crime involving far more people, and even lacks the insanity angle, would just be forgotten after 21 years.

No way will it be forgottern, look at Dunblanine in Scotland, the local population still remember it clearly and I bet it is the same with the places in the US that have had 'incidents' like this happen.

 Ahtman wrote:
21 years is the max the sentencing allows, but, and this is important and in the article, they can increase his prison stay indefinitely using 'preventative detention', which is almost certain to happen.

Yeah cause I was initially thinking "damn, only 21 years?" In the US he'd be away for what's 77 counts of 1st degree murder?

 Medium of Death wrote:
21 years for 77 people, 3 months-ish a person.

The fact that he may be released after this time is crazy.

I don't think there's even the slightest chance for him to be released, ever. He may ASK for it, but will definetly not get out. He wil be in there for the rest of his life.
I really wonder how long he'd last if they didn't put him in a seperate part of the prison. Death by fellow inmates sounds like a fitting sentence actually !

Being alive is better than not being alive. I think he should be executed.

Considering Scottish authorities were talked into letting the Lockerbie bomber go free I'm less than confident in the justice systems of countries more "civilized" than my own.

If he's released into the GP it's entirely possible that the other inmates will kill him. At the very least they'll make his life a living hell. I know in US prisons that those considered to have committed "bad" crimes don't ever get to rest easy, pedophiles, people who harm kids, spree killer nutcases like this guy, etc even the scum don't want to be associated with scum like that.

I must say I find the concept of not being able to just say "Yeah, to hell with you till you die" odd. Wonder why their justice system's got a punitive "cap" like that.

Interesting to compare to the nutcase in Aurora (I will not use his name, and encourage you all to do the same, history will forget him, not his crime) who if he's found sane will be lucky to get life in prison.

KalashnikovMarine wrote:If he's released into the GP it's entirely possible that the other inmates will kill him. At the very least they'll make his life a living hell. I know in US prisons that those considered to have committed "bad" crimes don't ever get to rest easy, pedophiles, people who harm kids, spree killer nutcases like this guy, etc even the scum don't want to be associated with scum like that.

I must say I find the concept of not being able to just say "Yeah, to hell with you till you die" odd. Wonder why their justice system's got a punitive "cap" like that.

Interesting to compare to the nutcase in Aurora (I will not use his name, and encourage you all to do the same, history will forget him, not his crime) who if he's found sane will be lucky to get life in prison.

You answered your own question.

Their justice system is focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment; which is the opposite of the US system. As a result, there is a cap on how long someone can be incarcerated for, as the mindset is that anything beyond that cap would be merely for the purpose of punishment.

What's more amazing is that 21 years is the maximum sentence; he's eligible to start asking for parole in like ten or so.

Let him ask as much as he likes.... he'll definetly not get out of that prison alive!

When reading "minimum of 21 years" for on this specific case please emphasise the word minimum not the number 21. its a euphemism for lock the door and throw away they key.

It's actually 21 years with a minimum of 10.

His sentence can be extended if he is still deemed a threat to society at the end of the 21, which is extremely likely.

I've a feeling if he's release after 10 yrs he won't enjoy his freedom for long.

I think this illustrates how flawed a Justice system like this is. The maximum sentence is 21 years, WTF?

Yeah, he's not likely to ever leave due to their review loophole, but he is going to sit in prison for the rest of his life sucking away tax dollars.

Such a miscreant should be executed. He's obviously irredeemable, why lose millions and millions of dollars paying for this guy's living and medical expenses over the next 60ish years?

Millions and millions of dollars?
He's only one man...

Food, electricity,linen, clothes, medical, dental, check ups, water..........