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‘Cruel and brutal’: Norway’s political leaders react to Kongsberg attack

Incoming Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre described Wednesday night's deadly bow and arrow attack in Kongsberg as "cruel and brutal" whilst outgoing PM Erna Solberg said it shaken the country.

Published: 13 October 2021 23:50 CEST

Norway's incoming PM, Jonas Gahr Støre, pictured speaking at a separate event, has described the attack in Kongsberg as

Norway's incoming PM, Jonas Gahr Støre, pictured speaking at a separate event, has described the attack in Kongsberg as "cruel and brutal". Photo by Arbeiderpartiet on Flickr.

Prime minister-elect Jonas Gahr Støre described the killing of five people in Kongsberg on Wednesday night as “cruel and brutal”.

LATEST: Five killed in Norway bow and arrow attack

“What we have heard from Kongsberg tonight testifies that a cruel and brutal act has been committed. We still know little about what happened and what is behind it, but we know that several innocent people were killed and that several were injured,” Støre said in a post on Facebook.

“Tonight, I have been informed by Minister of Justice Monica Mæland about what has happened. My thoughts and deepest sympathy now go to those affected, their families, and to the police, health personnel and aid workers who are now working to provide an overview and assist those who need help and follow-up,” the post reads.

Outgoing PM Erna Solberg described the attack, which took place in several locations in Kongsberg, located around 80km to the southwest of Oslo, at around 6:30pm as “horrifying”.

“The reports that come from Kongsberg tonight are horrible. It is a very tragic situation that affects the Kongsberg community,” Solberg said at a press conference at 10:45pm on Wednesday.

“These events have shaken us,” Solberg added.

The motive for the attack was not yet known but police added that they could not rule out that it was an act of terrorism.

The mayor of Kongsberg Kari Anne Sand, told VG newspaper the attack was “a tragedy for all those involved.”

“We are doing all we can,” she added. “Right now it is a chaotic situation and there are a lot of rumours.”

Click here for all the latest on the attack

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Norwegian police charge Olympic champion's father for domestic violence

Jakob Ingebrigtsen and two of his brothers, Henrik and Filip, who are also athletes, shocked Norway last October when they accused their father of being violent.

“We grew up with a very aggressive and authoritarian father, who used physical violence and threats as part of his upbringing,” the brothers wrote in an op-ed for newspaper VG. “We still feel a sense of discomfort and fear that we have felt since childhood,” they added.

Police opened a probe into the abuse claims and on Monday said prosecutors had decided to charge Gjert Ingebrigtsen, 58, with domestic violence against one of his children.

According to a source close to the case, the acts in question do not concern the trio of known athletes but another, younger child.

Over a period of four years, from 2018 to 2022, Gjert Ingebrigtsen allegedly manhandled, insulted, threatened and hit the child in the face with his hand or with a towel.

Responding to questions from AFP, Therese Braut Vage, who led the investigation, would not confirm this account.

Police said they had closed investigations into other events concerning the six other children in the home either due to a lack of evidence or, in one case, because the statute of limitations having expired.

Gjert, who coached Jakob until after the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo — where Jakob won the gold — has always denied the accusations against him.

“As far as the dismissed cases, we agree that there is no evidence to prove that Ingebrigtsen committed any wrongdoing,” his lawyer John Christian Elden told AFP on Monday.

“For the rest, Ingebrigtsen disputes the description of the facts on which the indictment is based — and he therefore does not admit his guilt,” he continued in an email.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen is the most successful of the three brothers, twice winning gold in the world championships 5000m in 2022 and 2023, as well as the Olympic 1500m gold.

The 23-year-old is also preparing for the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.

Henrik, 33, and Filip, 31, were European champions in the 1500m in 2012 and 2016 respectively.

After breaking with his sons, Gjert Ingebrigtsen shocked Norwegian athletics by becoming the trainer of another runner, Narve Gilje Nordas.

The Norwegian Olympic Committee has said that Gjert will not be granted accreditation for the Olympic Games in Paris this summer, as was the case at last year’s World Athletics Championships.

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