On Wednesday last week, a torch was thrown over the five meter high fence that surrounds the synagogues of the Jewish community in Trondheim.
This is confirmed by police station chief Arve Nordtvedt at Trondheim city center police station to VG.
Only the handle remained of the torch, which landed on a glass roof over a pergola in the backyard. The rest was burnt out.
There is a five meter high security fence around the synagogue and it should be impossible to see where the entrance is from the outside.
– No suspect
The police received a report about the case at 7pm on Wednesday 17 April.
– Do you have any suspects in the case?
– The matter is under investigation and forensic examinations are being carried out. As of now, there are no suspects in the case, says Nordtvedt.
– Do you have any clues, in the form of surveillance cameras or witness observations?
– No, there is no camera surveillance covering this area.
– How do you assess the matter?
– We understand that the environment at the synagogue is concerned and takes the matter seriously. We have close and good dialogue with the religious community at the synagogue.
Another incident
It has only been a few days since someone vandalized the Jewish cemetery at Lademoen in Trondheim. Among other things, several stars of David were smashed and the graves of several families were exposed to vandalism.
Trøndelag police district arrested a person who was charged with vandalizing the Jewish cemetery, in addition to tagging the Nidaros Cathedral and vandalizing cars. Among other things, he is said to have tagged swastikas, Nazi symbols and “Hitler”.
– Increased patrolling
According to Nordtvedt, there is nothing to suggest that the same person is behind this incident.
– Will the police increase the security measures around the synagogue as a result?
– Yes, after the incident we have increased patrolling at the synagogue. We don’t want to say anything more concrete about security measures, but we have close and good dialogue with the environment at the synagogue, he says.
– What is the police doing next in the case?
– The police will carry out forensic investigations, and continue the work to prevent this type of incident, says the police station chief.
Chairman of the Jewish community in Trondheim
– Willful action
– This appears to be a deliberate act, says John Arne Moen, chairman of the Jewish community in Trondheim to VG.
Moen points out that the synagogue has a massive, five-metre high security fence.
– Therefore, we assume that this was carried out by a person or persons who intended to create fear in the Jewish minority in Trondheim, he says.
– Rough and serious
VG wrote about Sophie Bodd Jenssen who was upset and saddened by the vandalism at the Jewish cemetery in Trondheim last week.
– What happened at the cemetery was sad, but there was no threat to life or health. This was an attempt to harm people and it is gross and very serious. This is an attempt to target and frighten the Jewish minority, she tells VG today.
A bag containing the substance calcium chloride was found right next to the torch.
– It is true that such a bag was found, but we cannot yet confirm that it ended up there at the same time as the torch, says chairman John Arne Moen.
May develop gas
Calcium chloride is a typical coarse salt and is used, among other things, to remove ice from pavements and stairs, according to Elisabeth Egholm Jacobsen, associate professor at the Department of Chemistry at NTNU to VG.
She says that this salt has a very high boiling point, at 1900 degrees, and a very strong fire is needed for it to burn and develop gas
In addition, this is a small amount of salt and a violent fire will create other, significantly more dangerous gases than this will, she believes.
