Police announced Monday that there has been new contact between the Hagen family of Lørenskog and those who claim to have kidnapped the family’s matriarch, 68-year-old Anne-Elisabeth Hagen. She disappeared from the home where she lived with her wealthy husband Tom Hagen on October 31.
“A new message has arrived, directed at the family and sent to their lawyer and the police,” Inspector Tommy Brøske said at a press conference Monday afternoon. He said the alleged kidnappers finally used a different platform for encrypted communication that was apparently less complicated but still does not allow any two-way communication or immediate response from either party.
Brøske said it was “positive” have contact again, but he declined to detail the contents of it. The family is following the police’s advice and not entering into any negotiations until they receive some form of proof that Anne-Elisabeth Hagen is alive and well.
That didn’t come, so there’s been no progress in the case. Svein Holden, attorney for the Hagen family, went on national TV Monday evening in an attempt to contact the kidnappers directly. Since there’s reason to believe those making ransom demands are not Norwegian, Holden spoke in both Norwegian and English.
He said the family viewed the new “more expedient platform” as a positive development in the case, but that “challenges” remain. Holden confirmed that the family was following the advice of the police and would not proceed with further negotiations for Hagen’s release until “credible information” about Hagen’s well-being has been received. “The family’s sole priority is to get Anne-Elisabeth safely home as soon as possible,” Holden said.
newsinenglish.no staff
