– Viggo Kristiansen has been introduced into the case by Jan Helge Andersen. Andersen’s explanation was largely based on the previous court round, and he maintains it now. For that reason, Kristiansen has been summoned as a witness in the case, says state attorney Andreas Schei to NTB.
Kristiansen (44) served almost 21 years behind bars, but was acquitted in 2022 of the rape and murder of Stine Sofie Sørstrønen (8) and Lena Sløgedal Paulsen (10).
His former comrade Jan Helge Andersen’s explanation was the main reason why Kristiansen was convicted. Andersen himself is now a defendant in the reopened criminal case. The prosecution believes Andersen was alone in raping and killing the little girls in Baneheia on May 19, 2000.
Has no agenda
Kristiansen will appear in Sør-Rogaland District Court on Tuesday to explain himself regarding his childhood friend and their actions in the time before and following 19 May 24 years ago.
– He has prepared to answer questions regarding what he did and where he was. He has no agenda beyond testifying. This case is not regarding him, says Kristiansen’s assistance lawyer Brynjar Meling to NTB.
– He is aware of the interest with which his explanation is surrounded, he adds.
On Monday, Meling issued a press release on his client’s behalf, in which he advised the press to respect Kristiansen’s wish not to be photographed.
Face to face
On Tuesday, the court day starts with Andersen getting to finish his statement, which he began on Thursday and Friday last week. In his explanation, he is still adamant that Kristiansen was involved in the rapes and murders in Baneheia, even though Kristiansen has now been acquitted.
– Kristiansen is familiar with the accusations that are once more being made once morest him, where his attendance in the case in itself is a great burden. We try to accommodate his wish not to be photographed. And then he will try to answer the questions that are asked, says Meling.
In Andersen’s explanation, he told regarding growing up in the same neighbourhood, with play and mischief. With shared interests, they hung out more in their late teens, with a friendship that went up and down a bit.
“We were like cat and mouse. By that I mean close friends, unfriends, and then becoming close friends once more,” was quoted from the court hearing, a description of the friendship Andersen vouched for.
According to Meling, the two have not seen each other since the verdict was handed down in the Court of Appeal in 2002.
– He does not want to go out with his thoughts and feelings related to Andersen. That is not what it should be regarding, says Meling.
#Viggo #Kristiansen #testifies #Baneheia #case
2024-04-23 16:28:36
