Gjert Ingebrigtsen indicted for abuse in close relationships – NRK Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio

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The case in summary

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• Gjert Ingebrigtsen is accused of abuse in close relationships towards one of his children.
• The indictment comes after an investigation that started in October 2023, after the Ingebrigtsen brothers wrote a breaking latest news about violence and threats growing up.
• Gjert Ingebrigtsen’s defenders say that the case has now taken on a different character than it initially had.
• Olympiatoppen has withdrawn Ingebrigtsen’s Olympic accreditation.
• Counsel for four of the children, Mette Yvonne Larsen, says that at least one of the dismissed cases will be appealed.
• A trial in Sør-Rogaland district court is likely after the summer.

The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by NRK’s ​​journalists before publication.

Gjert Ingebrigtsen is accused of several matters. This applies to both physical violence and verbal abuse.

The indictment is on seven counts.

The paragraph for which he is charged is about abuse in close relationships towards one of his children.

It was VG mentioned this first (external link).

The police have issued a press release about the indictment.

The police: – All investigative steps completed

– All investigative steps in the case have been completed, and a prosecution assessment of the case has now been carried out, says police inspector Terese Braut Våge.

Gjert Ingebrigtsen is accused of violating section 282 of the Criminal Code, which applies to abuse in close relationships, against one of the victims in the case.

– The previously mentioned charge of bodily harm is now part of the indictment relating to abuse in close relationships, says the police inspector.

Police inspector in the South-West police district, Terese Braut Våge.

Photo: Odd Rune Kyllingstad / NRK

Sør-Rogaland district court informs NRK that the case has not yet been scheduled. The police prosecutor’s office is thinking of submitting the case for planning before the summer.

After this, it is up to the judiciary when the case is dealt with.

Police Inspector Våge says it must be a question of either repeated or serious abuse.

– I cannot say anything about the content of this indictment.

NRK has tried to get comments from Gjert Ingebrigtsen, without getting any answers.

– He disagrees with the presentation on which the indictment is based

John Christian Elden and Heidi Reisvang are Gjert Ingebrigtsen’s defenders. They say their client is aware of the indictment.

– We notice that the case now has a completely different character to what it initially had, and that the case has been dropped for all of the other victims. As regards the dropped cases, we agree that there is no evidentiary cover for Ingebrigtsen to have done anything criminal, they say in a joint statement.

Attorney John Christian Elden. He has previously said that he expects the case against Gjert to be dropped.

Photo: Annika Byrde / NTB

Furthermore, they say that Ingebrigtsen disagrees with the presentation of the events on which the indictment is based, and that he does not plead guilty here.

– The case is naturally a burden for all concerned, and it is therefore requested that the family now rest in peace. We will return to the matter in court, where it belongs, they say.

Counsel: – At least one dismissal will be appealed

Counsel for four of the children, Mette Yvonne Larsen, says this is a serious charge.

– There has been a thorough and rapid investigation. We do not agree that the other cases have been dropped, and at least one of them will be appealed.

She says this applies to serious relationships with a vulnerable person over a longer period of time.

Counsel for four of the children, Mette Yvonne Larsen.

Photo: Mirwais Moquim

Son says it is a very bad thing

One of Gjert Ingebrigtsen’s children, Martin Ingebrigtsen, has previously stated in a breaking latest news that he has never feared his father (external link).

His legal aid lawyer Stian Kristensen says that his client thinks this is a very bad case.

– It becomes even more difficult when the case has gained public interest. Such cases normally do not have that. It is difficult. There is no doubt about that, says Kristensen.

Martin Ingebrigtsen has explained himself thoroughly to the police, and has cooperated with them, according to Kristensen.

– He has never had the opinion that he has been exposed to anything punishable growing up. He is happy that the police agree with him that there is no reason to proceed with the case.

Kristensen states that in questioning his client has explained his thoughts and experiences growing up, and knows that his siblings have done the same. Kristensen does not wish to comment on the indictment that has now been brought against Gjert Ingebrigtsen.

Charged in December

In December, athletics coach Gjert Ingebrigtsen was charged with bodily harm.

The background is that the Ingebrigtsen brothers wrote an article in VG in autumn 2023 about why they chose to break the cooperation with his father (external link).

Here they said that growing up was characterized by physical violence and threats, and that the discomfort and fear still remained with the sons because of their childhood.

Gjert Ingebrigtsen himself has stated that the allegations are groundless. But in October, the police started the investigation against him.

The Ingebrigtsen brothers Jakob, Filip and Henrik have asked for peace and want to focus fully on sports.

Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB

Probable trial after the summer

Crime commentator Olav Rønneberg in NRK says there will probably be a trial in Sør-Rogaland district court after the summer.

– Such a case will hang over him in the criminal sense for quite some time. There will then be a court case, and regardless of the outcome, there is good reason to believe that there will perhaps be an appeal. So this is a process that can quickly go on for a year, says Rønneberg.

He says section 282 is a serious penalty, but he does not think Ingebrigtsen is on the upper part of the penalty.

– If a person is to be sentenced to six years in prison, there will presumably be repeated situations of a very serious nature involving the use of violence in close relationships, he says.

Crime commentator in NRK, Olav Rønneberg.

Photo: Caroline Utti / NRK

• Correction 29.04.2024 at 08.32: NRK first wrote that Gjert Ingebrigtsen was accused of section 271 of the Criminal Code on bodily harm. This was wrong. The indictment concerns Section 282 of the Criminal Code on abuse in close relationships.

Punishment with imprisonment of up to six years

Section 282 of the Criminal Code can result in imprisonment of up to six years.

This has happened in the Ingebrigtsen conflict

From golden smiles, reality shows and jubilation, to family quarrels and accusations of violence. Here is the timeline of the Ingebrigtsen conflict.

• It became known that the running brothers Jakob, Filip and Henrik Ingebrigtsen had broken off their collaboration with dad and coach Gjert Ingebrigtsen.

• Jakob Ingebrigtsen commented on the break with his coach father. – Some things don’t last forever, he commented after the first race without Gjert.

• A month and a half after the news of the break-up, Henrik Ingebrigtsen opened up a little more and said that “after so many years it didn’t work anymore”. At the same time, he asked Gjert to step more into the role of father than into the role of coach.

• Just over a week later, Gjert also broke his silence. – We knew that this wear and tear in the family would sooner or later strike. It has been tough, said Gjert Ingebrigtsen to NRK.

• Gjert continued to train Narve Gilje Nordås and Per Svela. He was therefore present during the EC in Munich in the summer of 2022, where he stated that it was special to be in a championship without accompanying his own children.

• The following six months Gjert student Nordås and the Ingebrigtsen brothers were at the same training camp. Then there was an episode that only became known in the autumn. Henrik Ingebrigtsen expressed that Nordås could not sit at the same table as him, and the union had to introduce measures.

• Only months after the episode between Henrik Ingebrigtsen and Narve Gilje Nordås, the parties were again at the same training session. The atmosphere must have been bad there too, according to the latter.

• Late in 2023, the conflict escalated in the public eye, when it became known that Gjert did not receive accreditation for the WC in Budapest. – It has been decided in a meeting today that he will not receive one of the coaching accreditations, based on an overall assessment, said Erlend Slokvik, head of sport in the Norwegian Athletics Federation, to NRK.

• The championship was characterized by noise and war of words, and the ice front between Jakob and Gjert student Nordås became very visible.

• A month after the WC, Nordås spoke out about the WC row and the argument with the Ingebrigtsen brothers. – I hope that people can travel around for conventions and championships to live under the same roof without it being so uncomfortable and tense, so that you almost can’t even be in the same arena, he said.

• NRK revealed the aforementioned episode about the incident between Henrik Ingebrigtsen and Narve Gilje Nordås at a training camp. On the same day, the Norwegian Athletics Federation announced that Gjert will not be accredited for the championships in 2024 either.

• Knut Jæger Hansen went out on NRK and described Henrik Ingebrigtsen’s behavior as “bullying and harassment”.

• The Ingebrigtsen brothers wrote a breaking latest news in VG in which they opened up about the background to the long-running conflict. They described the father as violent and controlling. On the same day, lawyer John Christian Elden rejected all claims on behalf of Gjert. A short time later, the Norwegian Athletics Association made a statement: – The Norwegian Athletics Association’s intention is to provide safe surroundings and a healthy performance environment for our athletes, coaches, managers and people in the support apparatus. Based on Jakob, Filip and Henrik’s statements today, we will take responsibility for sharpening this work, part of it read.

• – Based on the information that came to light through the media yesterday, it is natural for the police to investigate whether there is a reasonable reason to initiate an investigation,” said police inspector Terese Braut Våge to NRK the day after the brothers’ breaking latest news.

• – Yes, that is the plan, Narve Gilje Nordås said when asked by TV 2 whether he intended to continue with Gjert Ingebrigtsen as coach.

• In an article published in TV 2 and VG, Martin Ingebrigtsen, the brother of Jakob, Filip and Henrik, said that he “has never feared dad”.

• The police decided to proceed with the case after carrying out preliminary investigations. – The information that has come to light has meant that we have now opened a criminal case, said police inspector Terese Braut Våge in the Sør-West police district.

• Mette Yvonne Larsen, legal counsel for several members of the Ingebrigtsen family, said that a report had recently been lodged against Gjert Ingebrigtsen. She told Aftenposten that it was a family member who had reported Ingebrigtsen. The public assistance lawyer also said that several members of the Ingebrigtsen family had been in for questioning in the case.

• In a press release on 28 November, the police stated that they are continuing the investigation, and that Gjert Ingebrigtsen has the status of a suspect. – Based on the information in the case, it was natural to give all of the children the status of offended. All the victims have now been questioned. Gjert Ingebrigtsen has the status of a suspect. He has been questioned and does not recognize himself in the grounds for suspicion, said police inspector Terese Braut Våge.

• The police brought charges against Gjert Ingebrigtsen for bodily harm.

• The police stated that Gjert Ingebrigtsen has been charged with a breach of section 282 of the Criminal Code, which applies to abuse in close relationships. There is one aggravated in the case for which he is charged. The cases against five victims were dismissed on the basis of the evidence, and one of the cases was dismissed due to statute of limitations, the police further stated.

Sea view

The remaining cases investigated by the police have been dropped. The cases involving five of the victims have been dismissed on the basis of the evidence, and one of the cases has been dismissed on the grounds of limitation.

– I cannot go into the reason why they have been assigned different codes now, says police inspector Braut Våge.

More interrogations in the case

The police have questioned Gjert Ingebrigtsen and a number of witnesses. It was long expected that the investigation into the case would be completed before Easter.

But new inquiries were made in the case after Easter.

This was after a petition from legal aid attorney Larsen.

Photo by Gjert Ingebrigtsen from 2019.

Photo: NTB

– In the last part of the investigation, we have conducted several interviews with people we have not previously interviewed, in order to shed light on the cases in the best possible way, says the police inspector on Monday.

NRK has been in contact with the chairman of Sandnes sports club, Rune Christiansen, he does not want to comment on the indictment that came today.

Both the Ingebrigtsen brothers and Narve Gilje Nordås, who are coached by Gjert Ingebrigtsen, represent Sandnes’ sports team. In June, the club will organize the National Championships in athletics.

Gjert Ingebrigtsen is an honorary member of Sandnes sports team.

Published 29/04/2024, at 08.10 Updated 29.04.2024, at 14.35