The five young men who stand trial for various assaults on even younger girls are portrayed as nice boys.
Less than 10 minutes ago
This is a comment. The comment expresses the writer’s positionFriends and exes were summoned to the witness box in the district court in Bergen on Thursday to tell about their acquaintance with the five defendants in their mid-20s.
Three are accused of gang rape, one of sleeping rape and three of sexual intercourse with a minor.
They got the best shots.
– I have told the truth all along, that I have had sex with her and that I have unfortunately missed a few months, said the man (23).
His voice cracked as he explained how important it was to him to treat women well. Most recently, he explained about three “triplings” in one week.
Among other things, he is charged with sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl. He said he thought she was 16. He saw her bank card with “03” on it.
That bank card no one else has explained that they have seen. But the friends supported several of the men.
A young female witness said the one gang-rape defendant is a kind, sweet boy. – He always asks in advance, said the woman.
Another young woman said similar, complimentary things.
A childhood friend called it all incomprehensible. He only had good things to say about his friend, who he thinks is someone who always pays attention to women.
– He is not a person who steps over boundaries, said the other gang rape defendant.
They said all the right things. But maybe that was a little too right?
The ex-girlfriend of the youngest defendant (23) did what she could to smooth over the unfavorable things she had said about him during police interrogation.
She had explained that he could be angry and manipulative. Now she thought these were lovers’ conflicts.
The prosecutor, for his part, suggested witness influence and that the defendants have driven together. Because hadn’t the witnesses had contact with the defendants?
Yes, one young witness was even invited out to dinner. But she said she was not pressured.
The ex-girlfriend of one explained that at the time she liked group sex and spanking, she took part in it, although it may not be the kind of thing she does now.
And while some have been in love with the defendants, others have looked up to them. They have probably had a certain status in the environment, where they have shown themselves to be trained, tanned, with parties and money.
That facade has now crumbled. The defendants have explained about major personal problems after the indictment.
Confronted with some of his inedible TikTok videos, one defendant (25) replied that he did not know how to react to the enormous incitement.
He ended up trying his hand at TikTok.
– The reason why this case gets so much attention is that people believe that five people have gang-raped a 15-year-old and tied her up. And I understand that people react to that. There is no truth in those things, said the 23-year-old.
The charges may be mixed together.
He is accused of gang rape of an older girl using, among other things, a belt. He is not accused of raping the 15-year-old, but of having sexual intercourse with him.
The real indictment is probably still something that people can react to.
The presentation of evidence in the district court is over, and only the procedures remain.
The friends and the inedible harassment of the accused in the streets and in social media, may help them somewhat on their way.
But they didn’t exactly convince in the witness box.
The 23-year-old defendant explained that he always checks his age.
– You make sure of that. Of course, he said.
Unfortunately, according to his own statement, he met a 15-year-old who lied about his age.
What a 15-year-old is going to do with a bank card that shows she is 16 and how to get hold of such things, he had no good explanation for that.
Published: 25/05/23 at 17:58
