– We feel that we are being heavily deprioritised

The short version

• The support group on 25 June says that the victims feel forgotten and de-prioritised by public authorities
• The party Venstre criticizes Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) for a lack of follow-up and help
• Leader of the support group, Espen Evjenth, describes poor health care, insufficient information about legal rights and severe psychological consequences

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It is almost two years since the deadly attack in which Zaniar Matapour (44) killed two and injured a number of others. Today, the number of victims has been adjusted upwards to 274 people.

– We don’t feel well enough looked after, and that applies on several fronts. Many of those affected have not received good enough health care, nor good enough information about their legal rights as victims of violence, says Espen Evjenth to VG.

He is the leader of the Support Group on 25 June and receives full support from left-wing politician Grunde Almeland. He believes the Minister of Justice is failing those affected by the 25 June attack.

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– Where is the Minister of Justice?

– I am deeply concerned that those affected by the 25 June terror will not get the help they need. That responsibility belongs to Emilie Enger Mehl, but she has been running from that responsibility for two years, says Almeland.

Last year, the Minister of Justice promised better follow-up and help, but little has happened according to Almeland.

– Where did Emilie Enger Mehl go? Many people wonder about that, he says.

Depression and suicidal thoughts

The support group follows the terror trial against Zaniar Matapour in the Oslo District Court. They see that many of those affected are struggling with the after-effects.

– Our impression is that many of those who were present during the attack are doing very badly. In court, we have heard people talk about depression, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse problems, serious trauma and sleep difficulties in the aftermath of the terror attack. Many have been completely or partially out of working life for long periods, says Evjenth.

Dark day

Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) has been subjected to criticism from the support group and Liberal politician Almeland. She says it is useful to have a dialogue about the issues the support group here reacts to.

– 25 June was a dark day that has marked a lot of work in the government in recent years. I had a meeting with the Support Group on 25 June last week at the latest, and it always makes an impression, says Mehl in a comment to VG and continues:

– Within the justice sector, we have taken several powerful measures to strengthen our agencies as part of the follow-up after the brutal acts that took place on 25 June 2022.

Calling for research funds

In September 2023, the support group, in collaboration with the National Knowledge Center on Violence and Traumatic Stress (NKTVS), submitted an application for research funds from the Ministry of Justice.

– The application has still not been answered, says Evjenth.

For that reason, Almeland believes that follow-up research must be started immediately on those affected.

– This is the only way we can gain knowledge about how things are going with those affected. This was an important measure in the follow-up after 22 July. It is incomprehensible that it is not done here, says Almeland.

Asking for funds

The June 25 Support Group consists of a small group of people working to be a support and a voice for those affected after the terrorist attack on June 25, 2022.

– As an organisation, we are left with a great responsibility to help our members to have their rights fulfilled in the public sector. But we have limited resources, and we are struggling to find sufficient funding, says Evjenth.

They find that none of the funding schemes intended for volunteering are suitable for the work they do. As a result, the support group experiences being tossed around between various ministries and agencies in order to obtain funding.

– For us, it is obvious that there is a great need for the work we do. We will carry out support work for those affected, represent them and raise problems to the politicians, carry out memorial work and take responsibility for telling the story of the attack. There must be political will to finance such voluntary efforts in the wake of a crisis, says Evjenth.

Also read: Information to VG: Removed “goofy feeling” from the terror report

Emergency pot

The Liberal Party believes that a contingency fund must be set aside for this purpose.

– We see that civil society and voluntary organizations have had to take a big responsibility for the follow-up of those affected by the terror, while at the same time no funds have been set aside to make it easier to do this job, says Almeland.

Almeland points out that he said from the floor of the Storting last year: “How seriously the Minister of Justice takes this responsibility depends on how the follow-up is in action, not in words, also going forward.”

– So far, it does not appear that she has taken the responsibility particularly seriously, Almeland believes.

Granted support

• The 25 July support group has received Bufdir’s grant scheme for gender and sexuality diversity of NOK 500,000. and the Directorate of Health’s grant scheme for mental health and quality of life – gender and sexuality diversity (LGBT+) of NOK 1.775 million for 2024.
• In addition, the Support Group received a total of NOK 850,000 on 25 June. in extraordinary grants from KUD in 2023. They received NOK 500,000. for the start-up of the organization in 2023, as well as NOK 350,000. to hold the one-year anniversary.
• They have also applied for extraordinary grants for 2024 from the Ministry of Culture and Equality. The application is being processed by the Ministry of Culture and Equality.

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Sad

– It is sad that the Support Group on 25 June feels that the funding schemes are not suitable for them, even though they have received support from several grant schemes in both 2023 and 2024, says Merete Romestrand, senior communications adviser in the Ministry of Justice to VG.

When it comes to health care for those affected, the ministry points out that the Directorate of Health, through the state administrators, has been tasked with being proactive towards the group affected by the terror.

– It is important that those who need it are offered help and follow-up for both physical and mental health problems from the municipality and the specialist health service, concludes Romestrand.