SPYDEBERG (Aftenposten): The deceased are 16-year-old twin sisters, Mina Alexandra and Mille Andrea Hjalmarsen from Indre Østfold. A man in his 20s has been charged with negligent homicide.
08.01.2023 09:47
Updated 08.01.2023 19:15
The article is updated.
On the night of Sunday, the police moved with an ambulance and a doctor after receiving an emergency call from a private address in Spydeberg.
Two lifeless teenage girls were found at the address. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was started, but the lives could not be saved. According to the police, the cause of death is probably an overdose.
The deceased are 16-year-old twin sisters, Mina Alexandra and Mille Andrea Hjalmarsen from Indre Østfold.
The police write this in a press release.
Relatives have been notified.
Man charged with negligent homicide
A man in his 20s was arrested at the address, charged with not having provided the girls with health care. He does not plead guilty, says defense attorney Knut Ditlev-Simonsen to NRK.
On Sunday evening, the police changed the preliminary charge to negligent homicide, cf. § 281. They do so on the basis of seizures and information about the course of events.
The police emphasize in a press release that this is still a preliminary charge as it is still early in the investigation and that this can be changed again before a final charge is made.
The incident took place at the accused’s residence, but there should not have been a previous relationship between the sisters and the accused, the police write.
The police, with assistance from the Oslo police district, have arrested a young man suspected of selling drugs to the girls.
They want to get in touch with people who on Friday or Saturday have been in contact with or seen the girls on the route Oslo – Ski – Askim.
Tips can be sent here.
Inger Marie Støen is an assistance lawyer for the next of kin.
– This is a terrible case, which is very difficult for anyone to understand. They are having a hard and difficult time and need peace going forward now, she tells VG.
During the day-to-day care of child protection
A third girl at the same address was taken to hospital for treatment after consuming a narcotic drug. The police did not have information on her condition on Sunday afternoon.
All three girls are under the age of 18. Aftenposten mentioned on Sunday that the two deceased were under the day-to-day care of child protection.
Bufetat confirmed on Sunday evening that the girls were under various child welfare measures, but that the child welfare authorities had not taken over care in the legal sense.
Shortly afterwards, Bufetat informed the channel that the two dead teenagers in Spydeberg were not under the care of the child protection agency. They use the wording “measures through child protection”.
– Too early to say anything about the relationship
– It is a special incident and a demanding situation we are facing, with young people involved, police inspector Lars Reinholdt-Østbye tells Dagbladet.
The case is being investigated broadly, the police inspector says. The police hope they will get more answers during the day. At 6pm on Sunday evening, the accused man sat down for questioning, Reinholdt-Østbye tells Aftenposten.
The third girl who was taken to hospital has the status of a witness in the case.
– We hope to conduct an interrogation of her, says the police inspector.
The police will form an opinion on whether the accused man should be produced for custody. A possible detention meeting will then take place on Monday.
The police do not want to say anything about what kind of relationship there is between those involved.
– It is also too early to say anything more about what has happened. We are working to map the sequence of events and who was present, says the police inspector.
Crisis teams are called in
The crisis team in Indre Østfold is involved in the case and is gathered on Sunday.
The mayor of Indre Østfold, Svend Saxe Frøshaug, is working to get an overview of the situation.
– The families will be looked after, he promises.
Spydeberg congregation has opened the church in the village to everyone from 2pm on Sunday.
According to the mayor, it may also be appropriate to open a place where young people can gather during Sunday. The youth environment in Spydeberg may be badly affected, according to the mayor.
– Very unusual
Municipal chief physician Jan Børre Johansen was briefed on the deaths on Sunday morning. According to him, overdose deaths like this are very unusual.
– I have never been involved in such matters with such young people, he says.
Knut Ditlev-Simonsen defends the accused man in his 20s. The defense attorney confirms to Dagbladet that the client has been arrested and is in custody.
– He is per now not in a condition to be questioned, but attempts will be made to achieve this during the day, says Ditlev-Simonsen to the newspaper.
The defender is not aware of a planned prison meeting for the time being.
According to the newspaper, four people were present at the address when the police arrived.
