A 45-year-old Norwegian man admitted in court Tuesday how he had sexually abused his adopted son from Colombia for years, and then both abused and strangled him in the 15-year-old’s own bedroom last fall. The man also confessed to planning the murder the night before, just after his son had finally confided in his mother about the longstanding abuse.
The shocking attack that attracted wide media coverage began this week in the Gjøvik Court, six months after young Oscar André Ocampo Overn was found strangled but still alive on the morning of October 9. He was airlifted to Oslo University Hospital but died a month later, resulting in both sexual assault and murder charges against his father.
The defendant described the sexual abuse in detail, testifying that it had taken place both in the family’s home at Kapp in Toten and at their hytte. When first confronted by his wife about the sexual assaults, he had admitted them and confirmed that they both decided he should move out of the family home.
He then testified, though, that when he started planning how his wife and their three children would manage financially, he decided they would be better off without either him or the 15-year-old. He claimed he felt his son had some kind of power over him, and reverted to planning his murder instead, which he carried out after sending the two youngest children to school and then locking his wife in their bedroom. Her screams for help attracted the attention of a neighbour who called police.
The trial is expected to run over four days with no one in the courtroom except those directly involved and their lawyers, for fear of Corona virus infection. It’s being followed closely, however, since the boy was a well-liked teenager whose funeral at the Hoff Church in Lena attracted hundreds of mourners, many of whom had to follow it from outdoors.
newsinenglish.no staff
