Court orders new psychiatric evaluation of Breivik

The Oslo District Court (Tingrett) announced yesterday that it has requested psychiatrists, Agnar Aspaas and Terje Tørrisen, to conduct a new psychiatric evaluation of Anders Behring Breivik. This is a highly unusual decision for the court to make since the Court Medical Commission, which is responsible for quality checking all court-requested psychiatric reports, approved the original report unanimously without any comments. However, the Oslo District Court considers that, following the substantial critique of the conclusion of the inititial report by many psychiatric professionals, and in light of the severity and special character of the case, further inquiry into the question regarding Brevik’s legal accountability is justified.

The new psychiatrists have a different mandate than those writing the initial report. Aspaas og Tørrisen have been asked by the court to investigate, among other things, alternative physical or psychological conditions that may explain Behring Breivik’s actions, and to consider the connection between his manifesto and his actions. These are the two elements lacking in the intial report that have received the most criticism over the last few weeks.

Google translation:

These should consider Breivik again
13.01.12

Agnar Aspaas and Terje Tørrisen are appointed by the Oslo District Court to conduct a new forensic psychiatric assessment of the terrorist accused Anders Behring Breivik.

The illuminated Judge Wenche Arntzen at a press conference in the District Court at 13.00.

“The court thinks the case very special nature means that expertise issue has to be examined further,” said Arntzen.

She and associate judge Arne Lyng has noted the criticism of the report is reproduced in the media, drawing specifically states that those who have studied Breivik in Ila prison believes he is not psychotic.

“These circumstances suggest to let independent experts conduct a new investigation of the accused’s sanity based on the total evidence,” according to their justification….

Original article: Disse skal vurdere Breivik på nytt
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Breivik’s lawyer, Geir Lippestad, said to Aftenposten that Breivik is not disappointed about the question of his accountability being discussed, but that he does not wish to speak to the new pscyhiatrists.

Another one of his lawyers, Tord Jordet, says Behring Brevik believes the appointed psychiatrists lack understanding of the political analysis required to evaluate whether someone accused of an act of terror is suffering from delusions. Breivik has stated that he believes that 80% of the first report was based on lies and twisting of his words; therefore, he does not wish to speak to the newly appointed psychiatrists, Jordet says.

According to Aftenposten, Breivik has previously expressed that he does not have confidence in the court system. Behring Breivik has asked his lawyers to look into possible conflicts of interest of the two newly appointed psychiatrists, and the possibility of Breivik appealing the new court appointments is being considered by the defense team.

Google translation:

Breivik will not talk to the two new experts
13.jan.2012

Anders Behring Breivik believes the new psychiatric experts not qualified to evaluate him.

It informs his defenders Geir Lippe Location and Tord Jordet after Friday afternoon visited his client in Ila prison to discuss how to deal with the two newly appointed experts.

“He says he does not want to talk to them.” He believes that the psychiatric expert does not have the academic prerequisites for assessing an accused in a terror case, and that it requires knowledge of policy analysis to assess whether he has delusions,” says defender Tord Jordet to Aftenposten.no after the roughly hour-long meeting with Behring Breivik Friday afternoon.

“He noted that 80 percent of the initial report is based on lies and distortions, and he has no desire to talk with the new experts,” say Jordet….

Original article: Breivik vil ikke snakke med de to nye sakkyndige
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The Norwegian newspaper, Verdens Gang (VG), has published the first psychiatric report produced by the court-appointed psychiatrists, who concluded that Breivik suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and psychosis, as well as another psychiatric report initiated by Ila prison which said that Breivik is not psychotic:

Les de psykiatriske rapportene om Breivik (in Norwegian)
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Also: Enlightenment or confusion in the Breivik-case from Document.no.

Related posts: Further critique of psychiatric diagnosis, Court to determine Breivik legal accountability, 129 plaintiffs request new psychiatric evaluation of Breivik