Breivik ‘offended’ by insanity claim

Anders Behring Breivik, the 32-year-old Norwegian charged with murdering 77 persons in July, told police he was “offended” by two court-appointed psychiatrists’ conclusion that he’s insane. Breivik claims he is sane and capable of standing trial for his crimes.

Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported that Breivik was transported from his cell at the high-security Ila Prison in to the main police station at Grønland in Oslo Tuesday afternoon. Once there, he was told by his defense attorneys that the psychiatrists believe he is psychotic and long has suffered from paranoid schizophrenia.

That means he can’t be punished with a prison term for bombing Norway’s government headquarters on July 22 and then carrying out a massacre on the island of Utøya. He’s likely to instead be committed to a psychiatric institution, probably for life.

“He said he had feared that conclusion, but didn’t think it would come,” Hatlo said. “It didn’t appear that he accepted it.”

Breivik was once again being questioned by police Tuesday evening, after being given his insanity diagnosis. Court-appointed psychiatrists have determined, after 36 hours of interviewing Breivik this fall, that he is delusional and believes he’s a knight on a mission to wage war against those who allow multi-cultural societies.

Breivik has told his attorneys that he fears the insanity declaration will lead to his “character assassination” in the media.

NRK reported that the psychiatrists also believe there is great danger that Breivik, if ever released, would carry out new murders and acts of violence. They think he must expect psychiatric treatment and medication for the rest of his life.

They also labeled him as suicidal and capable of carrying out suicide bombings, for example. NRK said he could try to murder others and kill himself at the same time. They found no evidence, however, that his psychosis was induced by stimulants when he carried out the July bombing and massacre.

Breivik, who also was said to have had a difficult childhood, was determined to completely lack feelings of human empathy and is unable to understand the perspective his victims and society have on his attacks.

Views and News from Norway/Nina Berglund

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