Reacting to the co-op’s response when her roommate beat her up in the student dormitory

— As an international student, I was more vulnerable when something like that first happened. And I think that student welfare should have a plan for what to do when such situations arise.

Bergen, January 2018: Trude, which is not her real name, has just fled the student accommodation she and her now former partner lived in.

In the past year, there have been repeated incidents of psychological and physical violence against the young foreign student. The roommate had kicked, shoved, threatened, violated and controlled her, according to the judgment from the Bergen District Court, which Khrono has gained access to.

Khrono has tried to get in touch with her former partner, including through his lawyer, without success.

15 percent during education

Khrono has recently written several cases about violence in close relationships in connection with the escalation plan against violence and abuse against children and violence in close relationships which is being considered in the Storting this spring.

In 2022, which is currently the last year for which statistics are available, there were 2,110 people who had one or more stays at the 20 shelters that are members of the Shelter Secretariat. 15 per cent of these were in education when they had to flee into the crisis centre, according to figures from Bufdir. In addition, there are 24 crisis centers that are not part of the secretariat.

In addition, there are those who stay at the 24 centers who do not report figures to Bufdir.

The figures for 2023 will not be available until June, but several centers that NRK has spoken to report a sharp increase.

Experienced that the samskipnad did not know what to do

While Trude left the student accommodation, and eventually went to the crisis centre, was put in contact with a lawyer and had the case reported, her now ex-partner, a non-student from Bergen, stayed in the student accommodation.

— When I called the student association and explained to them what had happened, I was told that I had to come down to the office in the student town I had lived in. When I answered that I did not think it was safe to go there as he was still lived there, they just rejected me, says Trude.

The association in the Westland capital thought it was safe for her, and advised that this was not something they could solve over the phone anyway. Her proposal to meet someone at another of the association’s offices was rejected, she says.

— My experience… It didn’t seem like they quite knew what to do. They were willing to chat, but only in one office. When I said it didn’t work, it was just as if there was nothing to do about it, at least not until the case was reported.

The ex stayed in the apartment until the police showed up at the door following the report. When he moved out it became clear that Trude, who had her name on the contract, was not going to get her deposit back.

– I had to break the contract, and there was a lot of outstanding rent. In addition, there was damage he had caused to the apartment, and the cost of a bed he had stolen, she says.

Even after the deposit had been withdrawn, she still owed the company money, which became a significant additional burden for someone who had already been subjected to physical and psychological violence from her partner.

– I was met with very little understanding in a very unpredictable situation. The association could have handled this better, especially when the situation was acute, she says today.

– They apologized for the situation and put forward their demands. When I couldn’t pay, it went to debt collection. The association then considered itself finished with the matter, while it had major consequences for me.

Trude points out that financial ties like the one she and her ex had as cohabitants make it extra difficult for people who are exposed to partner violence to break away.

“It should be easier for them to do something about the financial part in such contexts,” she says.

The association does not wish to comment

At the student association Sammen, they do not want to comment on individual incidents, but generally say that they are always aware of the topic, and that serious incidents confirm the necessity of this.

— Many students who contact our health service are in major or minor life crises for which they are seeking help. Through our offers, we can help them find solutions to much of this. We do not have an emergency service or any service similar to the shelters, but inform about these possibilities if relevant, says Øystein Sandven, head of the department for mental health in the association.

“Like other healthcare services, we have an obligation to report if information comes to light through contact that triggers this,” he says.

— What role do you think you can, should or should play in such contexts?

— By having services with short waiting times and good availability, students in crisis can have an easy access to qualified help.

— What are you doing on a preventive level?

— We have concrete offers such as “Break the legacy of violence young”, an offer in collaboration with the organization Alternative to violence. And then we regularly hold couples and cohabitation courses for students, says Sandven.