Anders Behring Breivik  

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Anders Behring Breivik(13 February 1979) is a Norwegian far-right terrorist who committed the 2011 Norway attacks. On 22 July 2011 he killed eight people by detonating a van bomb amid Regjeringskvartalet in Oslo, then shot dead 69 participants of a Workers' Youth League (AUF) summer camp on the island of Utøya. In August 2012 he was convicted of mass murder, causing a fatal explosion, and terrorism.

Psychiatric evaluation

Breivik underwent examination by court-appointed forensic psychiatrists in the autumn of 2011. The psychiatrists diagnosed him with paranoid schizophrenia, concluding that he had developed the disorder over time and was psychotic both when he carried out the attacks and during the observation. He was also diagnosed with abuse of non-dependence-producing substances antecedent of 22 July. The psychiatrists consequently found Breivik to be criminally insane.

According to the report, Breivik displayed inappropriate and blunted affect and a severe lack of empathy. He spoke incoherently in neologisms and had acted compulsively based on a universe of bizarre, grandiose and delusional thoughts. Breivik alluded himself as the future regent of Norway, master of life and death, while calling himself "inordinately loving" and "Europe's most perfect knight since WWII". He was convinced that he was a warrior in a "low intensity civil war" and had been chosen to save his people. To the psychiatrists, Breivik described plans to carry out further "executions of categories A, B and C traitors" by the thousands, themselves included, and to organise Norwegians in reservations for the purpose of selective breeding. Breivik believed himself to be the "knight Justiciar grand master" of a Templar organisation. He was deemed to be suicidal and homicidal by the psychiatrists.

According to his defense attorney, Breivik initially expressed surprise and felt insulted by the conclusions in the report. He later stated that "this provides new opportunities".

In Norway, the outcome of Breivik's competency evaluation has been fiercely debated by mental health experts over the court-appointed psychiatrists' opinion and the country's definition of criminal insanity. An extended panel of experts from the Norwegian Board of Forensic Medicine reviewed the submitted report and approved it "with no significant remarks", whereas the psychiatric medical staff in charge of treating prisoners at Ila Prison did not make any observation that suggested he suffered from either psychosis, depression or was suicidal. Rather he appeared to have personality disorders, according to senior psychiatrist Randi Rosenquist. Counsels representing families and victims have filed requests that the court orders a 2nd opinion, while the Prosecuting Authority and Breivik's lawyer do not want new experts to be appointed. The perpetrator himself refuses to cooperate with new psychiatrists.

If upheld by the court, the diagnosis means that Anders Behring Breivik cannot be sentenced to prison. The prosecution may instead request that he be detained in a psychiatric hospital. Medical advice will then determine whether or not the courts decide to release him at some later point. If considered a perpetual danger to society, Breivik can be kept in confinement for life.




Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Anders Behring Breivik" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.

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