Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik was jailed for a maximum term on Friday when judges declared him sane enough to answer for the murder of 77 people last year, drawing a smirk of triumph from the self-styled warrior against Islam.
An unrepentant Breivik, 33, gave the Oslo court a stiff-armed, clench-fisted salute before being handed the steepest possible penalty, 21 years.
WHAT?!
I’m no proponent of the death penalty or life imprisonment, but I was shocked when I read he only got 21 years. Really? Does Norway have that much faith in their (appearingly-) prisoner-reform system?
Don’t ask: 21 years is the steepest sentence the Norwegian legal system can deliver by law. Even Quisling (who was sent to the firing squad) would get the same sentence today.
21 years of paying for his board and lodgings is pretty steep for the Norwegian taxpayers especially his victims families. Execution would be much fairer on them.
Keeping him alive though allows the establishment to use him as a bogeyman anytime criticises immigration policy and/or Islam which they will. It allows them to run the “extreme right wing” terrorist narrative which was prevalent prior to 9/11. And don’t be surprised if “we” get lumped in too.
As far as I know as he’s considered a highly dangerous criminal and a maximum security prisoner his sentence can be reviewed later on and re-imposed. It’s likely then that he’ll spend the rest of his life… living like a lazy, mooching teenager
Technically under Norwegian law there is a 21 year maximum sentence, but the sentence is reassessed every few years and can be extended by 5 each time. Which is what will happen. He will never leave prison. Ever.